Page 21 of Magic & Secrets
“Is it common these days for so many different magic folk to work together in the Territories?”
Calla’s gaze went hazy as if her thoughts were to be hidden. The three warriors radiated a newfound wariness toward us. I snarled at how Calla refused to share her secrets.
“Though not uncommon,” Calla said without looking at me, “such arrangements are typically kept quiet. The government wouldn’t approve of harmony within the various magic folk communities.”
Interrupting our conversation, a feast arrived at the long table. My packmates eyed the meal before looking at me. The idea of anyone hunting our kind for sacrifice left them uneasy. In the past, Bane Shifters were avoided by troublemakers. Even the Armgard attempted to stay out of our way in their attempt to overthrow the Murade.
Now, a group of diverse magic folk viewed us as mere hunks of meat to be offered to an ancient beast buried deep underground.
The warriors’ behavior also left my packmates wary, yet I sensed the females’ secretive ways came from the Murade’s programming. A deep need within me insisted I trust Calla.
“Eat up before we offend our hosts,” I said when the human men waited for our reaction.
Soon, we ate the meat and drank the brew. The food tasted strange to me after so long on the toxic mountain. I still ate heartily to soothe the humans’ tension.
“We will rest here overnight,” I said loudly. “On the morrow, we’ll take to the hunt again.”
The humans smiled and nodded, approving of our presence in the Territories. We might be mere myth, but the stories of our time patrolling Lavinia left a good impression.
After picking at her food and barely touching the brew, Calla suddenly looked up and found my gaze. I had been longing for her attention for too many long strikes of the clock. As soon as her gaze found mine, a warmth washed over me, and that lovely cinnamon scent brushed against my nostrils.
Calla suggested, “Why don’t we hunt together?”
“We don’t need your help,” Delta snarled.
A ferocious anger filled my chest when my packmate spoke directly to Calla. Becoming irrationally hostile, I nearly leapt across the table and attacked Delta. Never had I considered harming my kind before.
Studying Calla, I wondered if she put a spell on me to instill such a possessive need within my heart.
“You are part Elf,” I said in a gruff voice. “Is the other half a Witch?”
“You already asked me that. I don’t know my mother’s bloodline.”
“I have known Elven half-breed warriors. You are different.”
Rather than shrink under the weight of my accusations, Calla instead asserted, “You’re searching for danger where none exists. At this rate, you’ll soon accuse me of being an Armgard warrior.”
The pub fell silent. All eyes turned to Calla as her words remained heavy in the air.
“There are no more Armgard,” I stated, holding her gaze. “I saw the last one’s head ripped from her shoulders. The skull is atop a mountain of them in the great human city of Shining Jewel.”
The humans were placated by my tale of triumph over an evil they only knew from legend.
Calla tore her gaze away from me and glanced at the other warriors. Frowning at Delta and Koda, Mina stroked her blade as if prepared to kill them. Enya seemed lost in thought.
When Calla returned her focus to me, she leaned closer and whispered, “What were they like?”
“Foul monstrosities,” I muttered, annoyed by her curiosity. “Only capable of evil.”
Calla didn’t flinch under my anger. Though I sensed the other females wished she would be quiet, she leaned closer to me.
“They must have been fierce warriors to have stood against your kind.”
“We destroyed them.”
“Not right away,” Calla said as her gaze feasted on my body before returning to my face. “Bane Shifters are remarkable creatures. How can I not be curious about the warriors capable of offering even the smallest resistance to your power?”
“If you knew anything about the Armgard, you’d understand how I’d never accuse you of being one.”
