Page 14 of Magic & Secrets
Shuffling toward my sisters, I realized the battle was over. Mina and Enya quickly flanked me while the Bane Shifters circled us.
“You killed them all!” Mina yelled at the males. “How can we learn information from the dead?”
“I thought you had death warrants for them?” asked Delta.
The sable-haired Shifter was slightly leaner than Roque. His copper eyes glared down at Mina.
My sisters were also distracted by the strange magic in the air. We couldn’t remember the lies we told earlier. I glanced at Mina and hoped her wits remained sharper than mine.
Rather than bow to the powerful beast, Mina snarled at his fearsome face, “We wanted information from them.”
“What information?” asked the final Bane Shifter, Koda, who still circled my bevy. “Who are you?”
Following her training, Enya effortlessly lied, “We were hired by the Territories to hunt those who attacked Haven Junction. We know the Lion Shifters didn’t work alone.”
“You know how?” Delta sneered at Mina. “The attack happened less than two days ago.”
“They attacked more than the Junction,” Enya lied once again.
The two Bane Shifters stepped back and glanced at each other. Roque joined his packmates.
“They call you Calla,” Roque said to me, and my name felt like music in his voice. “What about these two?”
After a quick introduction, the six of us found ourselves in the same tense position. Roque took charge by circling my bevy.
“Who trained you? Maybe we know them.”
“Tirso,” Enya answered without hesitation, and I was impressed by how sensible my sister remained even as my mind struggled. “He is part Elven himself.”
“What’s the other part?” Delta grumbled.
“Human,” Mina replied. “We think, anyway. We were orphans.”
The Bane Shifters shared a silent conversation. Most human women impregnated by supernatural creatures did not keep their babies. Elven magic was known to corrupt entire generations. Better to sacrifice one baby than to allow a bloodline to be ruined.
Roque didn’t seem convinced, despite the logic behind our explanation. I worried his excellent sense of smell might tip him off to how our scents were too different from Elves. Roque watched us with the wary gaze of an agitated beast.
“Thank you,” I said and offered a smile. “For catching me, I mean.”
Roque’s suspicious gaze dropped instantly. I felt his magic crawling over my skin and demanding to dig deeper. As our gazes held, the energy in the air crackled.
A low growl erupted from deep in Roque’s chest. My training and fear faded. I ached to confess my secrets and offer him everything he desired. The urge was so powerful, my feet began moving me toward the Shifter.
Mina snatched my arm, breaking the spell long enough for me to step back and regain control of myself. Roque cocked an eyebrow and grunted in response to how I moved away from him.
“I have an idea,” Koda said while Roque studied me. “We will search their supplies for clues. Afterward, we can travel to the nearby settlement to ask around. Once we finish playing detective, the six of us can enjoy a meal. During our celebratorydrink, you will be free to explain what you planned to ask the Shifters if they had survived our wrath.”
Enya instantly asked, “Are you planning to secure pants for this friendly meal-and-strategy session?”
“If you insist.”
“I do,” Enya replied and walked to the dead Lion Shifters’ supply bags. “Let’s check their belongings quickly. They’ve already begun to smell.”
When I moved to join Mina and Enya in the search, Roque shook his head. Unable to disobey, I stood very still while he circled me again.
“Is it possible you’re part Witch, Calla? I sense a spell or two from you.”
“Anything is possible when you’re an orphan,” I said and then played the fool by asking, “Are you Warlocks?”
