Page 32 of Memories Like Fangs
“We were just talking, and then a harpoon went through her stomach. I chased after her for as long as I could. Just when I was about to catch up to her, she was pulled along and swallowed up by red magic. Then, she was gone.”
“Red magic? Likebloodred?” Izzy’s brows furrowed.
Maisie snapped her fingers. “Fucking hell,that’swhy it was so familiar! How did I not realize that before? It’s that fucking blood witch-fae!”
Shit, Maisie was right. Howhadn’twe realized this before?Even in the dark of the night, that magic had glowed red like blood. Plus, that weapon had looked like it was drinking Byrd’s blood in. It could only be blood magic. My spine went rigid straight. “If it’s her, what about the harpoon? That was a hunter’s weapon. And, it was used with precision. When I threwmy dagger at them, too, I could tell they had been trained a certain way and they were fucking pissed to be hit by it instead of in pain like any other supernatural creature. Thishasto be a hunter.”
“Can it be two different people working together?” Rhois asked.
Cody shook his head. “I can’t track the person, but I could tell that it’s just one of them. At least that was there.”
“Can a hunter also be a witch-fae?” Journee questioned.
It was my turn to shake my head. “It’s possible… But I doubt it. Usually, a hunter’s traits overpower and consume everything else. It would also take a lot of training and fortitude, more than most are capable of.”
“Wait, how long ago was this exactly? Tell us everything.”
I did just as Izzy requested, giving her and the other Guardians a full rundown of everything that happened from beginning to end. I included how Cody and Maisie couldn’t track Byrd, how I didn’t feel her through our bond, and how we rushed here for their help. By the time I was done, Isidora’s face had paled significantly, Rhois had covered her mouth with glossy eyes as tears threatened to spill over, and Journee was cursing in another language that I could only guess was Arabic. A heavy silence fell over us for a moment as the weight of what I said hit everyone. Only the rustling pages and shivering spines could be heard in the quiet. The snowfall from the enchanted ceiling seemed to slow in midair.
Maisie stood at my side, jaw clenched. She didn’t flinch, just stared ahead at nothing particular. Her eyes were too bright, and I could sense that her shoulders were tight with the effort of keeping herself together. Maisie and Byrd had been friends since they were in high school. I couldn’t imagine how hard this must have been on her. The reality of it hadn’t hit me fully until seeing her now. In her silence, I felt the waves of her grief and anxietyripple off of her like heat from a fireplace. I didn’t need to read minds to hear theif onlysin her thoughts. They echoed my own.
Suddenly, the airshifted.A plume of brilliant blue magic appeared, radiant and thick like fog, catching snow in its glow. When it dissipated, three very familiar figures stood in its place with bags next to them.
“What the fucking hell just happened?” Nat said, looking around wildly next to Cole. I don’t think I had ever seen them so confused. If the circumstances were different, I would have chuckled.
“Maisie?” Simone asked, familiar with magic and antics like this as well as the location. “How did we get to the Archive so fast?”
Journee raised one of their hands in a nonchalant wave. Their tone was smooth and warm with a hint of mischief. “Hey, you were thinking about them pretty loudly, wishing they would get here. That’s all it takes for me. I’m a genie. Hearing and granting wishes is kind of…” They waved a hand around in the air above them. “The gig, you know?”
Nat, Cody, and Cole all exclaimed at the same time, “A genie?!”
Journee chuckled at their incredulity. “That reaction will truly never get old. They don’t teach about us in Hunter School?”
“Fuckno! We never learn about the fun supernaturals, not until we get out on the field. So fucking lame,” Cody said, pouting like a child. I rolled my eyes.
“So, wait. If you are a genie and you can summon people, why can’t we just wish for Byrd to come here?” Cole asked.
Very valid idea.
Journee frowned, their expression sobering. “I would if I could. It’s the first thing I tried when Quinn arrived. She has been wishing for it this whole time. However, my magic is blocked. I can’t sense her at all, let alone summon her here.”
“The blood witch-fae is blocking all of our magic, which means she is blocking Byrd,” Izzy declared, shaking her head as her eyes darkened. “This isn’t good.”
“How bad are we talking, Is?” Maisie asked.
Instead of answering her, Izzy turned to me fully. She stepped closer in front of me, looking me up and down as she towered above me. I should have been intimidated or felt some other kind of way by her examination of me. Under her gaze, though, I just felt vulnerable yet safe. Despite my instincts, it was hard to deny the draw to her. When she spoke again, her voice was softer and rang with knowing. “How haveyoubeen feeling, Quinn?”
Everyone followed her lead and turned to look at me. I fucking hated being the center of attention, especially when I had no idea how to respond. I furrowed my eyebrows.
Izzy kept her eyes on me as she explained. “The mating bond is a powerful thing, especially for fated mates. It allows you to send emotions and thoughts to each other because it’s a connection, a bridge. Once established, it can increase your power and make you stronger. It can save you when you are on the brink of death. However, it can also have an adverse effect.
When that bridge is torn down or blocked, the mate left behind suffers. Most of the time, they wither and wallow away into nothing. Other times, they… well… implode.”
“Implode?”
Nat’s eyes widened and met mine. She gasped. “Your rage.”
Izzy nodded. “They detonate, destroying anything and everything in their path. If they can’t reunite with their mate, they will eviscerate everything around them. I have read of this and seen it happen to friends in the past. It has started wars and left a trail of desolation in its wake. It’s worse than disappearing into nothing because it takes so much with it.”
