Page 16 of Magic & Secrets
Delta and Koda flanked me. They slowed their pace. Though I didn’t want Calla out of my sight, I too lingered enough to allow distance and privacy between the groups.
“Is this the right choice?” Delta asked as his golden gaze locked onto the females ahead. “We should be hunting the Wolf Shifters.”
“We’ve been running for two days. A single evening of rest is warranted,” I told my old friend. “Besides, the Wolf Shiftersare no doubt slowing after fleeing for two days. We have time to catch them.”
“I’m curious about the world,” Koda said. “These warriors are like no Elven half-breeds I’ve encountered. I suspect they’re lying. I also believe they might help us understand why such diverse magic folk worked together to attack Haven Junction. We should learn if there are more vermin waiting to attack us.”
Delta’s agitation grew, leaving his voice no more than a growl as he said, “You claimed the warriors are lying. Why trust them to tell us the truth?”
Patting his shoulder, I explained, “Someone sent these warriors to kill the Lion Shifters. Even if we can’t fully trust them, they’re more of an ally than anyone else in the world now.”
The truth was I couldn’t walk away, even if I believed the warriors were our enemy. Calla fascinated me. I needed to know why I dreamt of her. How did this young warrior have so much power over me? Why did I also seem to hold power over her? Walking away wasn’t an option until I had my answers.
Calla glanced back at me. Her green eyes shone, and a little smile curved her lips when she found my gaze on her. A lock of her golden hair had fallen loose from her braids and covered her left eye. She blew it away and smiled wider when it dropped right back in front of her face.
Mimicking her amusement, I couldn’t look away. Calla was why I remained in human form.
Nearby, Delta shifted into a panther and traveled through the sparse forest. The other two warriors turned immediately, having sensed his change.
When Calla held my gaze for too long, Mina bumped her. A silent disagreement took place between the sisters before they turned away and trekked toward the outpost.
At my side, Koda kept his gaze on the back of the warriors.
“They wield obscure magic,” he muttered.
“I suspect they are the Murade’s newest weapons.”
“If so, should we continue following them?”
“I don’t fear the Murade.”
“Neither do I, but it’s not beyond the Murade’s thinking to orchestrate the attack on Haven Junction as an excuse to get us off the mountain. What if these warriors are meant to lure us back into the government’s control?”
Tearing my gaze away from Calla, I glanced at Koda at my right side. His wide chest heaved with rage. He was lost in his bloodlust, unsated by the earlier battle.
No, no, I was misreading my old friend.The magic in the air had riled him up like it did me. I noticed the same frenzied energy from Delta before he shifted.
“If these females hope to trick us, they are fools. If the Murade orchestrated the slaughter to lure our kind back into battle, they are fortunate to face us rather than Tempe.”
“I feel great unease with their magic,” Koda confessed. “Their power reminds me of the magic behind the storm, which blinded us to the massacre. The warriors might not be sent by the Murade, but by the ones who dispatched our friends.”
“Anything is possible in a world we abandoned long ago. What I do know is we are Bane Shifters and shouldn’t fear battle of any kind.”
“I don’t think I could fight those females,” Koda admitted. “Their scent makes my mind wander.”
I frowned at his tone more than his words. Koda sounded pained by the magic’s allure. Had he also dreamt of Calla? Feeling territorial, I growled at him without thinking.
Koda tensed under my threatening snarl. He grumbled deep in his chest before shifting into his bear form. Though I expected him to join Delta in the forest, he ran past the warriors who tensed.
Calla glanced back at me. Our gazes locked. I couldn’t peel my attention away from her green eyes. The magic in the air crackled. The cinnamon scent intensified.
I narrowed my gaze, wondering if these warriors were using enchantment spells to dull our senses. Calla’s expression made me rethink my suspicions. She looked as surprised as me by the magic swirling around us.
As we entered the bustling settlement, I felt the Witch’s protection spell nip at my flesh. In my mind, I saw a vision of my body bursting into flames. The Witch’s spell no doubt worked on weaker creatures, scaring them and burning their flesh enough to send them fleeing.
Like many human outposts, this place was a mix of the old and new. The wooden buildings felt like something out of ancient times, yet security cameras were stationed at every roofline. Several humans wore blades. Others held energy rifles.
The warriors moved down the center of the road. Even the armed humans quickly made room, intimidated by the females’ weaponry and battle garb.
