A Touch of Magic, page 13
part #8 of True Mates Generations Series
All this time, he thought he was doing the right thing. As long as he kept this secret, then Gunnar’s vision would never come true. He’d asked his brother several times, but so far, Gunnar had yet to see the premonition again, and so he kept up the lies. He and Jonathan had been so careful. Thought of any eventuality. Made sure there were no holes in their stories.
But what they didn’t expect was for Sabrina’s memory to return. That wasn’t supposed to happen. He and Jonathan made sure of it. The mages had no idea that Cross knew about her, and they checked in with her father several times. Of course, Jonathan couldn’t remember any of those times. Another part of their plan.
After bringing Sabrina to Kentucky, Cross had spent the last two days going back to every single mage hideout, stronghold, and sanctuary he and the rest of the Guardian Initiative had raided and destroyed, trying to find a clue or any indication on how they could have found out about her and what else they knew. Now, here he was, in the outskirts of Moscow, ransacking the last mage headquarters he and his father had succeeded in raiding for any clue as to what the mages knew and what their plans were. He’d combed through the entire place, but found absolutely nothing.
Give us the dagger. Or your mate dies.
The mages somehow discovered that Sabrina was his mate. He’d thought of all the terrible things they could do if they did get to her, but he didn’t even think they would bribe him so he could steal the dagger. Two birds with one stone, indeed.
Daric was confident the Lycans would prevail because they had defeated the mages thirty years ago. But Cross wasn’t feeling so optimistic now. Was Gunnar’s vision inevitable?
He pushed himself up to his feet and wrung his hands together. No. They could still change the future. He had to believe that, and he wouldn’t give up now, not after last night. There had to be a way.
Focusing his thoughts, he reappeared seconds later inside the cabin. The empty cabin, it seemed. It was dark outside, so maybe she had gone to the lodge to have dinner with Silke, since he had not provided her with any food.
After a brief check outside to make sure she wasn’t there, he transported himself to the main lodge, in the hallway outside the manager’s suite.
He knocked on Silke’s door and heard her call out, “Just a minute.” A few seconds later, she poked her head through the open door.
“Cross?” A frown marred her face. “What’s wrong?”
“Is Sabrina here?” he asked. “I should explain a couple of things to her.”
“No, why would she be here?” Silke crossed her arms over her chest. “You were the one who brought her back to the cabin.”
“Yeah, but I left for a couple of hours and I just came back. Cabin’s empty. Figured you might have invited her here for dinner.”
She shrugged. “Well, I haven’t seen her since this afternoon at the stables.”
A pit began to form in his stomach and his inner wolf’s ears tipped forward. “Where could she have gone to? She doesn’t know the area. Where has she been in the past two days?”
Silke thought for a second. “Only the lake and Ransom’s. She went over there when the pipes broke.”
He didn’t waste any more time and headed to Ransom’s cabin, not even bothering to appear outside. Ransom, Hardy, and Bo all jumped to their feet and let out defensive snarls when he appeared in the living room.
“What the fuck!” Ransom cursed. “Never fucking do that, man.”
“Where’s Sabrina?” he asked.
“How the fuck should I know?” Ransom growled. “You said you’d take care of her.”
Ransom’s words made his chest tighten. Yes, that’s what he was supposed to do. Take care of her. Of his mate. “She’s not in the cabin or at Silke’s.”
“Well, she ain’t here either.” Hardy took a menacing step forward.
If Cross had the time to spare, he would deck the other Lycan just for being alone in the woods with his mate. Or bring him to Timbuktu and leave him there. His wolf very much liked all those ideas, but that wouldn’t help him find Sabrina, so he told it to quiet down. “Did Silke tell you what happened this afternoon with Logan?”
“No.” Ransom gritted his teeth. “But you’re gonna tell me now.”
He relayed a quick version to them of the events at the stables. “… and now I can’t find her.”
“Shit, how come you never told me your girl could do that?” Ransom scrubbed a hand down his face. “Logan hates witches.”
A cold chill ran down his spine, and the pit in his stomach grew. “Would he harm her?”
“What the fuck are you saying, Jonasson?” This time, it was Ransom who took an aggressive step forward. “You think my wolves would harm a female?”
Bo cleared his throat and placed a gentle hand on Ransom’s shoulder. “I don’t think he would hurt the girl, even if she was a witch. Logan’s hate for anything magical runs deep, but he would never lash out at any innocent.”
“Let’s put an end to this now.” Ransom pulled out his phone and tapped on the screen, then put the receiver to his ear. The furrow between his brows deepened as seconds ticked by, and there was obviously no answer. With a frustrated growl, he put the phone down. “Voicemail.”
Hardy scratched his chin. “Could be busy.”
“Is his cabin far?” Cross asked.
“Won’t be in it, I guarantee,” Bo said. “He rarely spends time indoors. Only goes to his cabin to change clothes and do his business. If he’s not with the horses, then he’s patrolling around the territory.”
“I’ll check the stables; you check his cabin.” Cross didn’t bother to wait for the other Lycan’s confirmation, but instead, transported himself to the stables. A quick check in the stalls and around the perimeter told him that neither Logan nor Sabrina were there, but he could definitely detect their faint scents in the air, which meant both of them had been here recently.
His wolf growled; it hated the other Lycan. More than that, it could sense Logan’s beast. To his wolf, that’s what the other man’s animal felt like—a caged monstrosity, waiting to get out.
His hands curled into his fists, and though he seriously wanted to tear the entire building apart, that wouldn’t help, so he popped back to Ransom’s cabin.
“—Snake or Hawk haven’t seen him either, but someone from housekeeping saw—” Hardy stopped short when Cross reappeared.
“What did housekeeping see?” Cross asked, his voice tight.
Hardy’s lips pulled back into a grim line. “Someone from housekeeping said she saw one of the trucks driving away. Couldn’t see the driver, but said the passenger had white-blonde hair.”
“Goddammit!” Cross wanted to rip something up. Preferably Logan’s entrails out of his stomach. His inner wolf agreed as it bared its teeth. “I’m going to kill—”
“Cross, don’t,” Ransom warned. “Calm the fuck down.”
“Calm down?” he groused. “How the fuck can I calm the fuck down when he’s taken her—”
“Logan did not fucking take her!” Hardy shouted.
“Then explain how she’s gone and how—”
“Every truck has a GPS tracker,” Ransom said calmly, though the dominant authority in his voice was unmistakable. “We can find out where they are. Silke has them at the lodge. She’ll pull up—”
He didn’t even bother waiting for him, but instead, grabbed both men and transported them to the main lodge, outside Silke’s suite. Ignoring Hardy’s colorful curses as he staggered back from their landing, he banged on Silke’s door. When she came out, he quickly explained to her what was happening. She led them down to her office so they could track the missing truck.
Her dark red brows snapped together as she squinted at her computer monitor. “Where are you … where are you … ah!” She slapped her palm on top of the desk in triumph. “There you are! Damn it, Logan!”
“Where are they?” Cross asked.
“Looks like they’re in town. Just pulling into the credit union’s parking lot.”
“Credit union?” Hardy asked. “What the hell are they doing there?”
Cross could only guess, but he had a pretty good idea. “Sabrina has probably convinced Logan to give her money, maybe to take a bus out of town.” He pulled the monitor around to face him, focusing on the location and the address on the map.
While both he and Daric had the ability to transport to places they hadn’t been to, as long as they had a map and clear view, his father was much better at it. That was why whenever they needed to go somewhere, Daric would lead, and he would follow. But he had to try. If he didn’t get to Sabrina now, he’d have to chase her halfway across the country.
“You going to them?” Ransom asked.
He snorted.
“Take us with you.”
“What?” Hardy waved his hands and shook his head. “No way. I ain’t travelin’ via magic airlines. Gives me the creeps.”
“Well, I ain’t letting lover boy deal with Logan alone,” Ransom said. “You’d probably send him to Antarctica just for being alone with your girl.”
Hardy waved his hands. “No way. You—”
Silke grabbed onto his arm. “I’m coming too.”
Ransom glared at his sister. “No, you stay—”
“Sabrina’s obviously in distress.” Her nails dug half-crescents into his skin. “Please. If she was upset enough to ask Logan to help her, then she’ll need someone there she can trust.”
His wolf growled angrily at him. She was supposed to trust them, not that other beast. “Fine. Hold on.”
Hardy’s face turned red. “Goddamn motherfu—”
Adrenaline, desperation, or maybe it was the thought of Sabrina, but somehow, he was able to safely bring them to their destination in one piece. He had chosen the rear of the building, just to be sure no one saw them appear out of thin air.
Not bothering to wait for the others, he quickly sprinted toward the front and spied the truck at the end of the parking lot. He hurried over to the vehicle, but saw it was locked and empty. Muttering a curse, he turned around and began to walk toward the bank. He was only halfway across when he saw the glass doors open, and Logan and Sabrina came out. Instantly, her gaze connected with Cross’s.
Before he could say a word, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. His wolf was on alert, as if warning him of something. He should have acted on his animal’s warning because a split second later, his body hurtled backwards as a loud explosive sound nearly shattered his eardrums. The world was silent for a moment, like his ears were stuffed with cotton, before the ringing sound began. Staggering to his feet, he managed to regain his balance. Heat rushed around him, and he realized that the parked truck was now on its side, the entire body aflame.
The ringing in his ears subsided, and he thought he heard someone calling him. Turning, he saw Sabrina by herself, standing on the curb, screaming his name. So, he ran towards her, his heart pounding as he reached her. But before he could grab her, a force pushed him forward and slammed him against the side of the building, his head hitting the concrete so hard he saw stars.
“Cross Jonasson.” The voice made his skin crawl. It was familiar; he’d definitely heard it before. But where?
He tried to move but found that he couldn’t. It was like he was restrained by invisible chains. As his vision returned to normal, his stomach twisted in knots. A bald man in a red robe stood in front of him, his mouth curled up into an evil grin. When Cross struggled against his magical bonds, the mage tutted.
“Uh-uh-uh.” A bony pale finger wagged in his face. “Don’t even try it, you abomination. Selyse has got you, and you can’t escape.”
There were two people behind him, one man in the same mage robe, but his eyes were a cold icy blue. The other was a woman who also wore a red robe and had her hair shaved down. She held a hand up at him, and he could feel the power coming from her. Though he’d never encountered this particular mage before, he knew what she was. A blessed witch turned mage, one who had the power of telepathy. The evil nature of her corrupted power crawled over his skin as it held him against the wall.
Behind the three were another six mages. It wasn’t unusual for mages to travel in groups; in fact, it was necessary because they’d somehow found a spell that allowed them to teleport short distances, but it required at least three people.
“Didn’t you get my message?” The mage asked. “I told you to bring me the dagger. Or your mate dies.”
That’s why his voice sounded familiar. He followed his red gaze and saw another mage with his arms around Sabrina, one hand over her mouth. Her eyes were wide with terror as she struggled against her captor.
His wolf pushed to the surface, wanting to get at them. He reined it in, because shifting now and losing control wouldn’t do any good. “How did you find us?”
“Did you think you could hide from us forever? Our reach is far. Farther and deeper than you think.” The mage cackled. “Now, I’m going to take your mate, and you will get me the dagger. When you have it, you can have her back.”
“And the ring?”
His nostrils flared. “I have to admit, I underestimated you. I didn’t think you’d figure it out,” he sneered. “We’ll keep the ring, of course. In fact, we’ll be taking it away from her now for safekeeping.” He nodded to the man holding Sabrina. “Take it off her!”
The man released Sabrina for a second, only to grasp her right wrist. With his other hand, he grabbed the ring and attempted to pull it off. She let out a pained cry, and Cross’s wolf came so close to coming out that he knew his eyes were probably glowing.
“Goddammit, Godfrey!” The man holding Sabrina shouted at them. “It’s stuck! I can’t get it off!”
“Then cut it off, I don’t give a damn,” Godfrey shouted back.
Cross let out a savage roar as the man took a knife out. However, when he tried to put it to Sabrina’s hand, he let out a pained scream and then dropped to the ground.
Godfrey opened his mouth, but the sound of growls and a long howl made him clamp his mouth shut.
Two large blurs leapt out from behind the building. Ransom and Hardy. He’d almost forgotten about them. When they realized the mages had arrived, they must have stayed out of sight until they saw an opening. One of them, a large brown wolf with black streaks, leapt toward Godfrey. Unfortunately, Selyse saw the wolf and flicked it away, sending it flying into the air. However, that meant the female mage lost her hold on Cross, and he was free.
Anger raged through his veins as he stretched his arms forward. His wolf could no longer be held back, and so he let it take over. The transformation was fast; he’d learned the skill from fighting the mages in the last three years. While his magic was pretty effective, in combat against mages, his wolf always did best. Fur exploded from his skin, and his limbs stretched, and his animal burst from his human form. The great white wolf lunged forward, taking down both Godfrey and Selyse. They struggled, and Cross reached for the female first, his giant, claw-tipped paw raking down her face and front. She screamed in agony as blood gushed from her wounds.
“Impudent dog!” Godfrey screamed. Somehow, he’d managed to crawl out from underneath the white wolf while it had been busy with Selyse. “Take the girl and go!”
No! Cross screamed internally. The wolf got to its feet and scrambled toward the last place he saw Sabrina. Two mages were there, but to his relief, a dark gray wolf leapt in front of them and let out a growl. Its glowing gold-green eyes told him who it was.
Cross saw Silke creeping in from behind the building, ready to grab Sabrina, so he sprinted forward to take one of the robed figures down. However, the mage turned around and raised his hand. Something long and sharp formed in his hand. Cross attempted to pull back but it was too late. As his wolf came down, the spear pierced the wolf’s left hind leg.
The white wolf howled as icy pain spread up its leg, and it fell to the ground. Cross realized it wasn’t a normal weapon. No, it was wet. A spear made of ice was sticking out from the wolf’s thigh, its blood blooming out from the wound, staining the snowy white fur.
The mage raised his hand as another icicle began to form in his hand. The wolf struggled to get to its feet. Get up, he urged. He braced himself mentally as the mage raised his arm, weapon in hand, but before he could do anything else, a large black shadowy figure took the ice mage down. Though he couldn’t see it, the sickening sounds of teeth tearing through flesh and bone told him what was happening.
A dizzy feeling washed over him. He thought he heard a scream. Sabrina. But he was feeling faint from the blood loss. His wolf lolled its head back, trying to make sense of what was happening. There was more screaming and shouting, but it wasn’t Sabrina anymore.
“What in God’s name is—”
“An abomination!”
“The beast is—”
“Monster!”
Cross directed his wolf to lift their head, and he saw what the mages were screaming about. It was the black wolf—or something like a wolf. It looked like any other Lycan in wolf form but two giant incisors speared out of its mouth, like a saber-tooth tiger’s, and its back had a large hump that was lined with bony spikes, and its jet-black fur was mottled in places.
What the hell is that?
The animal let out a roar and leapt toward the group of mages forming a circle.
A throbbing pain made him wince. He had to get the icicle out so his wounds could heal, so he quickly shifted back to human form. Unfortunately, he couldn’t focus and get his brain to think of what he could transform it to. Ice was just frozen water. Heat would melt it. Gathering up as much as he could of his strength and willpower, he concentrated and created heat from the molecules of air around the icicle. He gritted his teeth as the pain and scorching heat made his skin burn, but he knew he had to get rid of this thing so he could protect Sabrina.
