Page 10 of Magic Betrayed

It revealed only the familiar sights of our new home.

A gray couch—only slightly used—that we’d found at a thrift store. A dark wood coffee table that Faris had been getting rid of. Couch pillows in varying shades of gray and green, also thrifted, and three brave little houseplants Kira had given us as a housewarming gift.

I had no talent for decorating, but Kes had spent hours making our little house look like a home. There was a stack of picture books on the coffee table, a worn throw over the back of the couch, and a canvas on the wall with splashes of color. A few dishes were in the drying rack on the kitchen island, next to a pile of homework, Ari’s latest brick sculpture, and a bowl filled with apples and bananas.

Everything seemed in order. But where were Kes and the kids? It was past midnight, and there was no way they should have gone out at this hour. Even without Shane’s warning, Kes was cautious. She always locked the door, and she protected the kids’ bedtimes religiously.

Maybe Kes had fallen asleep. Maybe one of the kids had unlocked the door by accident, and maybe she hadn’t heard me knocking.

My heart was pounding, and I could feel my pulse all the way to my fingertips as I moved to check the bedrooms. The bathrooms. The closets. They were all empty. All silent. I was alone in the apartment, and as I grappled with the icy spread of fear, a sound escaped my lips. It was a wordless cry of panic, and I did not care who heard me.

Where could they have gone? There was no sign of a struggle. No indication of violence. Everything was in its place, so they must have either left swiftly of their own will, or been taken so quickly there was no chance for a struggle.

Maybe they’d heard someone coming. Maybe they were hiding somewhere now, waiting for me to find them. Or maybe I was too late, and someone had already found them…

I caught a glimpse of motion out of the corner of my eye. Reflexes threw me backward, just before a cudgel of some kind cut through the air where my head had been.

The swift reaction left me crouched between my assailant and the bedroom door, my position now highlighted against the blue glow of my fae magic, so I snuffed it out, plunging the apartment into darkness once more. I heard a quick scuff, then silence, as I backed towards the living room, unsure of who or what I was facing.

If it was Blake’s people, or even Idrian mercenaries looking for Kes, they should have been using magic, not a perfectly mundane club. Idrians did use weapons, but usually only in conjunction with whatever form of magic they wielded. But if it was neither of those two groups… What could anyone else want with us?

Not that it mattered in the moment. Whether they used magic or ordinary weapons, I needed more room to maneuver. More time to figure out the best means of countering their attacks. I didn’t want to use light again, as that would reveal my location. Water magic was out—I didn’t want to flood the apartment—and my shifted form of a tiny white fox was hardly my best bet in a fight. So how else could I use my fae magic to my advantage, and somehow defend myself without killing my assailant?

Regret stabbed me fiercely as I recalled all the times Faris and Kira had urged me to practice. I should have listened. But a part of me was still wrestling with the right way to approach these stolen powers, so I’d put it off.

One cautious step at a time, I backed into the living room, straining to hear every faint scuff, every whisper of movement. But in my heightened caution, I still managed to forget the pair of shoes abandoned on the living room floor.

I tripped for a second time and started to fall backwards. My reflexes kicked in, twisting my body in midair just before I was struck by a vicious blow across my shoulders. The force slammed me to the ground, shooting a spike of pain through my spine and forcing me to catch my full weight on my wrists. Stunned and gasping, I failed to move fast enough, and caught a second blow on the side of my unprotected head, followed by what felt like a series of kicks to the ribs.

For a few moments, I couldn’t breathe. Stars blossomed in the darkness, along with pain so intense that I nearly blacked out. I could feel the warmth of blood trickling down the side of my face. There was a ringing in my ears. But I didn’t scream. I would never give them the satisfaction of screaming.

But in the effort to make no sound, my fae magic slipped its leash and flared to life in a surge of blue flame. As I rolled to the side, raising my arms to protect my head, I caught a brief glimpse of two shadowy forms clothed in close-fitting black, bending towards me with hands outstretched. They were hooded and gloved, so I could see no hints to their identity.

And then they were running away.

I couldn’t let them get away.

I pushed off the floor, slipped in my own blood, and crashed onto the tile again, vision hazy as pain stabbed through my temples again and again. Had to follow them. Had to…

My eyes fluttered shut as darkness loomed, and I lowered my forehead to the cold floor. Breathed through the agony. I had to stay conscious. For Ari. For Logan. For Kes. Wherever they were, they needed me. Needed me to find them. To make sure they were safe.

This time I inched forward before I tried to rise, clenching my teeth and pushing to my knees, then waiting for the dizziness to subside. A kitchen towel hung over the edge of the island, so I pulled it towards me with shaking fingers and pressed it against the side of my head. Needed to stop the bleeding. My ribs ached fiercely with every breath, but I didn’t think they were broken. And my legs were fine. They would have to be, because I was walking out of here.

Two more deep breaths, and I rose to my feet, clutching the island for support. My head spun, and the pain tried to drown me, but I fought through, eyes narrowed to slits…

And it was a good thing, because that’s when the power was restored. Lights flashed on, slamming into my skull like a fresh attack. I let my magic die as I shut my eyes, then opened them slowly, looking around for any sign of my attackers. Any hints of who they might have been. But the apartment was empty—empty and silent. No sign of Kes or the kids. No sign of…the phone.

Wherever they were, Kes must have taken the phone. It was a good sign. A hopeful sign. If she’d been taken by mercenaries, they wouldn’t have let her keep it, but there was always a chance they would have left it on. If I could only get to Faris or Kira, we might be able to track her location.

Except I didn’t know where Faris lived. I would have to call him, assuming he was even still awake. But even if he weren’t… Even if it turned out Kes was fine—that she and the kids had gotten away and were in hiding—I was willing to risk waking him up, if only to call Kes and warn her that home was still not safe.

But how to call him? We didn’t have a landline, and if I tried waking up my neighbors at this hour, they would only call the police on me.

Wait… The electricians should still be downstairs. And if not, there was a landline at The Portal. If I was lucky, maybe Emberly hadn’t left yet.

I moved towards the door, one step at a time. Glanced down at my hands and arms and realized I couldn’t go anywhere looking like this. My head wound had bled all over me, and I looked like I should be dead. Or possibly arrested for murder.

By the door… Next to Ari’s shoes, her mermaid backpack, and a haphazardly folded umbrella was a discarded lump of black fabric—Logan’s hoodie that he never bothered to hang up. For once, I was actually thankful for his terrible habits. I put it on over my sweater, pulled up the hood, and staggered out the door, leaving it propped open as a signal to Kes. If she came back, she would know not to stay.

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