Page 20 of Magic & Secrets
“You’ve forgotten to speak again,” Calla said and returned to the table.
I took three large steps to get in front of her. For a moment, I witnessed genuine fear within the jade jewels looking at me. Calla stumbled back, nearly tripping over her own feet.
When her gaze found me again, I saw something else in Calla’s eyes. They warmed, and her smile returned. The cinnamon scent bloomed around us, leaving me lightheaded.
“You’ve been on your mountain for a long time,” she murmured tenderly. “I can’t imagine you’re accustomed to talking to someone outside your pack.”
“No,” was all I could muster to say.
My throat went dry under her gaze. Shaking my head, I tried to break free of this powerful magic. By the time I regained control of myself, Calla was back in her seat.
My packmates weren’t much calmer than I felt. Koda kept asking Enya questions she refused to answer. Mina sharpened her blade at the table while glaring at Delta, who growled in response to her aggression.
“The food and brew are on the house,” Calla told her sisters. “These fine humans want to reward the Bane Shifters for their service to the Territories.”
Mina grunted and shrugged. Enya remained transfixed by the spot where her fingers brushed over a knot in the wooden table.
My packmates focused on the females rather than reacting to Calla’s words.
Turning her focus to me, Calla asked, “Did the Necromancer tell you anything before his end came?”
“Gibberish about his deity.”
Calla’s sisters immediately looked at me before she asked, “What deity?”
“I don’t know.”
“What did he say?”
“Why share with them?” Koda asked me. “They refuse to share with us.”
“I was willing to spend my money to feed you,” Calla said, sounding hurt by his comment.
I was immediately cross by how her gaze fell upon him rather than me. Tapping her shoulder, I relaxed once Calla returned her attention to me.
“Ivitithi.”
“Oh,” she mumbled.
Her sisters once again lost their agitated energy and eyed each other. They clearly desired a private space to speak about the importance of the name I shared.
“Koda is right,” I muttered in a snarly voice. “You’re keeping secrets.”
Calla’s expression hid nothing. She was torn between her loyalty to her sisters and this magic between us.
“Ivitithi is an ancient one from the Isle of Midsomer. He prefers blood sacrifices.”
“Tirso taught you that?” Koda asked Calla.
Unable to fight the possessive rage inside of me, I growled in response to his attention on her. He shook his head as if I were behaving like a child.
Koda wasn’t wrong. This possessive energy wasn’t like me, but I couldn’t control my behavior around Calla.
“There is a sickness within the Territories,” Mina said in a hushed, gloomy tone. “Many magic folk have become so desperate to break free of the overall unease within Lavinia, they will accept any hopeless avenue. Your friends were murdered and harvested to feed another pathetic lie by zealots unable to admit the truth.”
“Why come all the way to Mt. Elysium?” Koda asked. “What point was there in killing Bane Shifters for this ancient one?”
“One can only guess,” Enya answered while avoiding Koda’s overly direct gaze. “The ancient ones didn’t leave behind stacks of information about their inner thoughts and hopes. But based on what we were taught about Ivitithi, the ancient one enjoyed creating chaos amongst his creations. He spawned thousands of believers, only to have half of them butchered for his amusement. Your kind are considered the finest weapons in all of Lavinia. I imagine a thing of Ivitithi’s temperament would be quite honored to have Bane Shifters as blood offerings.”
