Page 61 of Freed Wolfsbane

Xander pushes a hand through his hair as he kicks a rock around with the toe of his boot. “He said be here at seven, not before. There’s a difference.” His voice is dripping with exasperation, probably having conversations about being punctual a million times with Bastian. While I love Bastian, his carefree personality doesn’t really lend itself to being prompt, unlike Xander who is always exactly on time.

Saint pulls out his phone to check the clock. “We still have ten minutes before he’s supposed to be here, anyway.”

We’ve been here for half an hour or so. The guys, mostly Malachi and Saint, weren’t thrilled that I wanted to wander around an unfamiliar city close to a place we know is crawling with Knights. Since I had the four of them with me, they eventually relented. I got to see the Medina of Tunis, the ruins of Carthage, and a bunch of old architecture. I thoroughly enjoyed it. My mates, less so, but they were happy I was happy.

My thoughts are interrupted by a soft humming that grows steadily louder. Squinting, I can just make out the faint shape of a boat gliding over the waves. As the boat rapidly grows closer, I see Jad at the helm and let out a breath of relief. That’d be awkward if we were camping out on some rando’s dock.

Water sprays up behind Jad as he gets within ten feet of the dock. He cuts the motor and rides the choppy waves the rest of the way to where we are. Bastian jumps up to avoid being squished by the vessel. When he reaches us, Jad climbs out of the boat and ties it off before waving us toward him. “Come on. We do not have time to waste.”

None of us say anything as we hop on. Bastian’s the first to jump into the run-down vessel with peeling white paint on the sides. I eye it cautiously, hoping it won’t sink on our trip. I really don’t want to be stuck in the ocean at night with sharks and other random sea creatures that would probably love a midnight snack of a tasty, tasty Briar and mates.

Bastian holds out his hand to help me in. I take it and carefully step into the boat that’s gently swaying side to side. Xander, Malachi, and Saint board after me. Jad unties the boat and gets in. The small vessel is cramped with three giant shifters, a very large mage, an old guy, and me. There’s not even enough room for all six of us to sit down.

None of my mates take a seat, wanting me to get first choice. I appreciate the thought, but since I’m the smallest, it makes sense for me to get any room remaining. “I’ll just sit on someone’s lap.”

Malachi nods and reaches out to grab me around the waist. Before he can, Saint snatches me for himself. I let out an embarrassing squeak as I’m unexpectedly yanked backward and crash into Saint. He lets out a deep chuckle at my surprise as he sits down and arranges me on his lap.

I turn around to see Saint flashing a smug smirk at Malachi who lets out a huff but doesn’t argue. I guess finders keepers applies to me when it comes to my mates.

Once we’re all seated, the boat roars to life underneath us. Jad expertly turns it around and sets off back the way he came. Whereas the vessel looked like it was gently floating over the waves, it’s actually aggressively bouncing over each ocean swell. My stomach turns at the way we’re thrown around, but I try to ignore it because we have bigger problems to focus on.

“How do we cross the veil?” I shout to be heard over the noise of the motor and the boat slapping into the waves.

“You have to let the veil sense your magic,” Jad explains without taking his eyes off where we’re heading. “That is how it kept the Romans out when it was created and how it keeps humans out today. It is a mystery how the Knights managed to cross it.”

Huh. That’s actually pretty cool that it can sense magic. Unfortunately, the Knights, as usual, found a way around everything we do to keep them out.

I run a weary hand over my face. “They have mages working with them. Superpowerful council ones. Who created the veil anyway?”

At the news the Knights have council mages working for them, Jad shouts something in Arabic that sounds like swearing. “I never liked mages,” he hisses in disgust. His eyes go wide when he remembers that Saint is one. “Other than your mate, of course. And my family was responsible for creating the veil. We have magic that is not entirely from this world. That is why I guard it.”

Saint grins at the old man. “I hate most mages, too, so you won’t offend me.”

“What do you mean ‘magic not from this world’?” I ask in mild horror. All I can picture is incredibly powerful magic-powered aliens invading the world and enslaving all of us.

Jesus fucking Christ on a bike. That’s a terrifying thought I really don’t need to worry about with everything else on my plate.

Briefly looking at my probably horrified face, Jad cracks a smile before shaking his head. “We are not the only realm in existence, nor are we the most powerful. However, most of the other realms have never heard of us, so their magic rarely trickles into our world.”

That’s… a comfort, I guess. I’d rather just forget I learned that there are other realms filled with magic-wielding aliens who would definitely fuck us up if they knew we existed. If that’s not a horror movie already, it definitely should be.

Moving on.

“Do you know what defensive measures the Knights have?” I ask.

“No. I rarely venture through the veil. The Knights have occupied the city for the entirety of my life. It is not safe to get too close or to spend much time there, like it once was.” Jad stares wistfully into the distance for a long moment. “It is one of my greatest wishes to see the city restored to its former glory before I pass on to the next life.”

My chest aches at the longing in his voice. I don’t want to promise too much, but I find myself needing to comfort him. “I don’t know about restoring, but to break the curse, we also need to evict all the Knights. There’s a chance you’ll at least get to see the city free of them.”

That, of course, is if everything goes according to plan, which it rarely does. But I have to believe we’ll find a way regardless.

Jad dips his chin in acknowledgement. “If anyone can accomplish it, it is you, my queen.”

We lapse into contemplative silence for the remainder of the hour-long boat ride.

Breaking the quiet of the night, which has only been interrupted only by the hum of the motor and the crashing of the waves, Jad says, “The veil is straight ahead. You will feel a tugging sensation. It will not harm you. That is the veil’s way of tasting your magic.”

Nodding, I brace myself for the feeling of someone rooting around in my chest. While I expect at least a mildly uncomfortable sensation, I instead feel like I’m wrapped up in a warm, soothing hug. I snap my eyes open to see if anyone else feels the same thing, but everyone aside from Jad has their faces twisted in a grimace.

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