Page 89 of Magic Betrayed

It wasn’t a voice. Wasn’t even a thought. It was an overwhelming feeling that someone had snatched my very soul from the jaws of death and was calling me back.

Anchoring me to my name.

Fanciful idiocy or death’s door poetry, no one would ever know.

Because when I felt it again, I opened my eyes and saw the wide, dark world spread out beneath me. The moon still shone, the fires still raged, but both seemed far away. I was indeed being held securely, and when I put out my hands, I found warm, smooth scales beneath my fingertips…

Callum.

I could have sobbed with relief.

No wait, Iwassobbing. And in the midst of it, I could feel him—feel the bond between us trembling with the echoes of his own fear, with the full terrible measure of his fury, and with so many questions we didn’t have time for.

“Callum, we have to go back. If we don’t stop him, Ethan will destroy everything.”

I felt his reluctance, but he wheeled and dove, making my stomach lurch once more. Maybe on another occasion—if I wasn’t fighting for my life, spitting blood, and shaking with the aftermath of my brush with death—I would have been awed by the sensation of flying.

As it was? I really just wanted to be back on solid ground.

We touched down well away from the house, in the middle of the dirt-track driveway, and even as the dragon’s feet hit the ground, the vortex dissolved, leaving only intense winds that thrashed at the trees and whipped the flames of the bonfire into a frenzy. Several of the trees caught, and I watched them blaze up, horrified by the destructive power we were witnessing.

“What in the name of all Idria is happening?” The low growl from the shadows behind me filled me with a relief so profound, I forgot my broken ankle and tried to pivot to face my boss as he walked up out of the darkness.

So naturally I fell over. Callum growled and snatched me up again.

“I’m okay,” I insisted, knowing full well that was probably a lie, but not in a place to really explore all that was likely wrong with me. “My ankle is broken, but that’s it.”

That’s it?The sense of mingled outrage and concern from the dragon was impossible to mistake.

“We have to hurry. Before he loses control and burns up half of Logan County.”

“Who’she?” Shane appeared beside Faris, anger and determination evident in his dark tone.

“Ethan.”

I saw that hit him.

“Crap.”

A severe understatement of the situation.

“Here’s the rundown. The kidnappers brought me here to try to threaten Kes. But we were found by bounty hunters and the ghost twins. I managed to scare off the Tanners, but then the bounty hunters caught me and were using me to get Kes out of the house. The house caught on fire, and… I guess Chesney sent Ethan out to deal with it. The bounty hunters are…” I hesitated to say dead without proof, but it seemed likely. “I don’t think they’ll be coming back.”

Unfortunately, that left us facing a far more terrifying enemy. “Ethan has lost control. He’s…”

I took a deep, steadying breath before admitting the truth. “He’s like me. But Elayara gave him all four elements, and it broke him. He’s not stable without someone to siphon his power, and I’m afraid if we don’t stop him he’ll accidentally kill everyone in that house and possibly us too.”

I looked around. “Is this everyone?”

Faris nodded. “Callum could only bring two of us. Draven and Rath were going to come, but they were called away. Attempted coup in the Fae Court. Someone tried to murder Dathair.”

Poor Rath. It was just as he’d told me. His court would always have to come before his heart.

“And Ari?”

“She’s safe with Kira,” Faris promised me firmly.

Good. That was good. Now all we needed was a plan…

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