Page 29 of Magic & Secrets
Angered by her dismissive tone, I charged toward where she stood next to Koda. My sudden proximity inspired Calla to flinch.
“You don’t even know about your own kind,” I mocked, now standing too close to her. “How could you possibly know about mine?”
My anger drew the attention of Mina. The black-haired warrior glowered at me.
“You’re wrong,” Mina asserted. “While it’s true you were created in a lab and designed by humans, you aren’t machines. You use magic to change form just as all Shifters do. You’ve been free for a century. Don’t you think it’s time to stop believing your creators’ lies?”
I heard Delta growling at us. No, not us.Me.He didn’t want Mina’s attention on me, any more than I approved of Calla’s focus on Koda.These females were driving us mad!
Calla glanced in my direction, only to find me scowling at her. She didn’t flinch this time. Her hand rested tenderly on my bare arm. The magic sizzled around us, making me lightheaded enough to stumble.
“Did you slumber poorly away from your mountain?” she asked in a warm, scorn-free tone. “Is that why you behave so prickly today?”
As the others prepared to move on toward the enemy, I could only feel Calla. She stared into my eyes like death welcoming me into the darkness.
I leaned down to inhale Calla’s scent. Rather than intoxicate me more, the cinnamon smell lessened my dizziness. My mind centered. I felt more in control of myself.
Calla watched me before leaning forward to sniff me. She lifted her gaze and smiled.
“I thought you’d smell like a bear, but you smell like a pastry.”
Frowning, I stepped back and scanned the woods. If this magic also affected Calla, she wasn’t the one enthralling me.What kind of Sorcerer had the power to bedevil a Bane Shifter to this degree?
“The world has changed too much since my time in it.”
Calla’s smile dropped, and she watched me with a pitying gaze.
“I’ve barely explored the world,” she admitted. “All I know is what I’ve been taught.”
“We are the blind leading the blind.”
“No, not exactly,” Calla whispered, stepping closer as her sisters readied their horses to ride. “I know what matters to me. I also believe it’s my duty to destroy the ones who attacked Haven Junction.” Her soft hand cupped my jaw as she inhaled sharply. “I just hope seeing a Bane Shifter in battle won’t distract me like yesterday.”
I offered her a slow, prideful grin. If she weren’t a mystery and I weren’t a Bane Shifter, the world might have bowed to this magic between us. I wanted to know her. Calla fascinated me. I wished we could walk alone for the day, talking about our lives before we met yesterday.
However, this magic wasn’t our making. Something treacherous was afoot. I also sensed Calla’s past would driveus apart. If the Murade had created her to replace the Bane Shifters, she was my enemy. The human government couldn’t be trusted. I wasn’t wholly certain they weren’t behind the attack on Haven Junction.
As the day grew hotter and we prepared to travel, my thoughts returned to the past. There was much pain and rage during our time as the Murade’s slaves, but I also held many fond memories. I often thought back to my time helping Lavinia’s citizens.
One day, I hoped to return to my mountain and reminisce about this day with the beautiful Calla. I couldn’t imagine being satisfied with only memories, but the warrior wouldn’t be safe on Mt. Elysium. The polluted magic was too powerful for an Elven half-breed.
I almost hoped she might be the Murade’s newest invention. If she were made like my kind, she could survive on the mountain. I might be able to steal her away and keep her close.
Hours passed as we raced to catch up to the Wolf Shifters and the Sorcerer. Mina said she thought they had stopped traveling. If we hurried, we’d reach them before sunset.
While my packmates and I could handle the heat, the horses eventually needed to slow down. The warriors climbed off and walked their steeds slowly down a road.
“Have you heard news from the Murade?” Koda asked after we returned to our human forms.
His question wasn’t out of curiosity. I sensed him testing the females. Delta traveled in the woods, distracted by the proximity to the Wolf Shifters and the Sorcerer. I sensed our targets were no longer hoping to outrun us. Instead, they prepared for battle.
“Do you mean since your kind retired?” Enya asked Koda.
They stared at each other for a moment, locked in a battle of wills. Mina nudged Enya to break the spell.
“The Murade hoped to discover what existed beyond the ocean circling Lavinia’s shores,” Mina explained. “They sent ships manned with their finest warriors. Many vessels simply stopped reporting back. Others were known to be lost to violent storms over dark waters.”
Mina glanced back at us as she walked ahead. “With their finest warriors gone, the Murade, in their infinite wisdom, sent more ships. These were filled with the common folk. The technology on the ships was improved. The vessels were larger, allowing for aircraft to come and go. They set sail in all four directions, searching for land beyond the dark seas.”
