Page 50 of Ignited Spirits
“I’m all for it.” Joseph throws his hands up in surrender, like he thinks I’m angry at him or something. “I just don’t know how one mage is going to take down the entire council. They’ve been abusing their power for a long time, and no one has been able to stop them yet.”
“Good thing I’m not just a mage. And I have help.” While my voice comes out confident, the doubt about whether I can succeed creeps through my mind. I shove it forcefully away because I have to win against them. There’s no other option.
Joseph warily glances at me out of the corner of his eye. “What are you?”
“I also have magic from another realm. If you don’t annoy them too much, Mateo or Angerona might tell you more about it.” I turn to Mateo. “Where is he staying?”
“He’ll stay in my residence. I need to keep an eye on him.” With that, he starts walking away from the dreary gray rock toward the vibrant city.
No one says anything as we wind our way through the bustling, narrow streets. Even though I’ve been here before, I can’t help but gawk at the orange-and green-tiled roofs on the squat stone buildings, the mountain greenery dotted in between the structures, and the shifters dressed in colorful clothing running around carefree.
We trek through the heart of the bustling city until we arrive at an unassuming gray stone building with a bright red door. Its emerald tile roof glints in the sunlight that pours in from the circular hole in the cave ceiling.
Mateo stomps over the cobblestones that line the walkway up to the building and pushes through the crimson door. We follow him inside a plainly decorated house.
Thick woven rugs soften the dark wood floors. Pale green and yellow paint lightens the plaster walls. An eclectic mix of secondhand furniture in various shades of blue and navy dots what I can see of the space.
Joseph plops himself down on a threadbare but clean blue sofa before looking around. “As far as prisons go, this isn’t too bad.” He kicks his feet up on a walnut coffee table and grins up at the jaguar shifter.
Crossing his arms, Mateo stares down at him. “This isn’t a prison.”
“Well, I’m pretty sure I don’t have free rein of your city, nor am I allowed to go anywhere myself. I’d call that a prison,” Joseph shoots back.
Mateo opens his mouth to argue further, but I beat him to it. “Joseph, how ’bout you don’t argue with the shifter who’s being kind enough to open his home to you.” I see the smug smile Mateo flashes him before I pin the jaguar with a glare. “And how ’bout you try being a little nicer to him? If you trust me to save the entire fucking world, I hope you trust me not to bring a threat into your city.”
The two men deflate. Joseph shoots me an apologetic look. “Sorry, Izzy. Thank you for taking me in, Mateo.”
Sighing, Mateo walks over to the sofa and flops down on the other end of it. “I’m doing my best to trust you, mage. But you have to work with me. You can come and go as you please, justtake an escort with you. It’ll keep you safe and make my people feel safe.”
“I can do that.” Joseph reaches out a hand for Mateo, who takes it reluctantly. They shake, and I feel the tension ratchet down a notch or two, much to my relief.
“How long are you planning to stay, Isabel?” the jaguar asks from his spot on the sofa.
“We should probably be leaving now.” I’m sure we’ve already been here longer than my dad or brothers thought we would be. And I know Dad’s anxious to see for himself that Mom’s okay.
“Anything you need before you go?” Mateo leans his head against the back of the sofa, looking worn out. I wonder what he was doing before we crashed his party that has him so tired.
I open my mouth to tell him no before realizing we never got a chance to ask Anya about the spell. “Does Angeronaknow much about spells? We think Lua is crafting one, but I have no clue what it could be.”
Tilting his head back and forth in thought, Mateo eventually nods. “I think she should have some idea. I can’t promise anything, however. Would you like to go talk to her before you go?”
I nod. “If she’s up for it, that’d be great.”
Mateo’s mouth twitches up on one side. “AbulaAngerona will always be up for helping her favorite mage.”
He pushes up from his seat and strides for the door, not bothering to make sure we’re all following him.
I jog after him, his long legs eating up distance faster than I can keep up with. When I finally catch up to Mateo and slow to a walk, Luca’s the one to put a warm palm on my lower back. He doesn’t say anything, but his quiet strength is still a reassurance.
Glancing behind me, I see Bishop, Cain, Levi, Archer, and Joseph following closely.
We only walk for a minute or so until we reach the familiar vine-covered building Angeronalives in. Mateo knocks on the cheery blue door before pushing it open. “I brought you visitors,” he calls out to who I assume is thecurawe’re here to see.
I smile when I walk in and see the neon blue, dark purple, and lime green mismatched furniture that fits the old woman perfectly. I hope when I’m as old as dirt someday, I’ll be as fearlessly myself as she is.
It takes me a few moments of looking around before I spot Angerona from her perch at the kitchen table. She gives me a warm smile that I do my best to return. I’m still a little nervous around the woman who can accurately predict the future.
“Grams?” Joseph questions from where he’s frozen by the door.
