Page 26 of Magic & Secrets
“The humans have offered us a farewell meal,” Koda said and glanced at the inn. “The warriors are still inside. Should we wait for them?”
“I’m surprised they didn’t escape during the night,” Delta muttered. “I doubt their masters want them working with us.”
Considering Calla’s behavior last evening, I insisted, “Rather than imagine the worst, let’s enjoy a meal before we begin our hunt anew.”
The humans did little to hide how they longed for the Bane Shifters to return to the Territories. They asked if we missed hunting troublemakers.What did a ruined mountain offer us that power and glory couldn’t?
Koda, Delta, and I remained noncommittal, saying we could only follow our pack leader and the agreement with the Murade.The humans didn’t like our answers, but they kept their complaints to a minimum.
After our meal, Koda, Delta, and I stopped by the tailor’s shop and returned the pants.
“Do you know of the castle on the north end of this Territory?” I asked the owner. “A Sorcerer once controlled the land. The Elven Empire did, too.”
“I heard the Citadel has become a school for orphans. Not sure who runs it.”
“Orphans, huh?” I muttered before considering the kindness shown by this settlement. “Perhaps, the Witch who does your protection spell can use our scent to ward off predators.”
The tailor smiled at the thought. “Leaving behind your scent would no doubt do wonders.”
Koda, Delta, and I separated to find each of the settlement’s welcome signs. We tore open our hands and left bloody handprints. Few predators wanted to face a Bane Shifter. Our small gesture might bring peace to this settlement.
Not long after our feast ended, the warriors appeared from the inn and walked toward us. Calla’s golden locks were tied back into two decorative braids, just like her sisters’ hair. Warpaint and an incantation were printed across their beautiful faces. I spotted a hint of white undergarment peeking from under Calla’s chain mail and wondered what else hid beneath her armor. Admiring her lithesome body, I tried to imagine her hair loose.
Annoyed by how my mind wandered whenever she was near, I shook my head and knocked my instincts back into place. Koda frowned at me before offering a small nod.
“Their magic twists my thoughts around.”
We leveled our gazes on the approaching females. Delta lingered near the woodlands, seeming fearful of facing the warriors who brandished the power to distract us.
Calla wore a steely expression until she locked eyes with me. Her gaze quickly heated, and an inviting smile appeared across her rosy lips. Whenever her attention was focused only on me, I felt a surge of great pride. This stranger’s approval mattered far more than it should.
As she approached, I fought the impulse to admit I dreamt of her. If I could be honest, we might share how we endured similar pressures in our childhood training. I wanted Calla to know I understood her. I couldn’t imagine what she saw when she looked at me. Most viewed my kind as weapons, but I needed Calla to see more.
Rather than confess my dreams to Calla, I only nodded a greeting. She smiled warmly despite my silence. This magic swirling around us left me wary, even as I admired Calla’s beauty.
“We have devised a tracking spell for the Wolf Shifters,” Mina announced, sounding vexed. “They still travel southeast with the Sorcerer.”
“We can track them without your witchcraft,” Delta muttered.
Without looking at him, Mina explained, “We utilized the same spell to find the Chauve Vampyres and then the Lion Shifters. Our system works. You do what you want.”
Calla glanced at Delta, who paced near the woodlands. Before I could growl possessively, she focused on me. “Will we still hunt together, or are we traveling separately?”
“We’re staying together,” I said without checking with Koda and Delta. “I’m uncertain you can handle Wolf Shifters and a Sorcerer without our aid.”
Calla smiled softly. “You were very heroic yesterday.”
Narrowing my eyes, I recalled how I hadn’t killed any of the Lion Shifters. “Are you mocking me?”
“Just a tad,” Calla murmured and grinned up at me. “We’ll get our horses and head out.”
After the warriors left us, Delta stomped over and shook his head.
“Do you truly intend to follow their spell?” he demanded of me.
“No, I plan to follow the scent of the Wolf Shifters, which will take us in the same direction as the warriors. If we catch up to the Wolf Shifters and their Sorcerer, we might end our retribution campaign within a week and return to Mt. Elysium.”
Koda glanced in the direction of the warriors before his bright blue gaze returned to me. He didn’t speak, yet I heard his question. This intoxicating, troublemaking magic might refuse to allow us to walk away from the warriors. Calla had been haunting my dreams long before she fell into my arms.
