Page 62 of Magic Claimed
I ducked my head, every muscle in my body tensing as they showered around us. A black wolf yelped. His legs buckled and he rolled before disappearing beneath a bush. Jarom nudged me onward when I slowed to help the shifter.
Alerick sprinted ahead of us, taking the lead. His paws sent debris flying as he darted through the overhanging leaves. Another high-pitched scream sounded and a barrage of metal prongs struck the ground. A yelp pierced the air, followed by the dull thud of bodies hitting the ground. Beside me, a shifter lost his footing and tumbled into an uncontrolled roll.
We were sitting ducks out here. Esoti would keep firing those magically infused crossbows, taking us down wolf by wolf. A golden glow glittered in my line of sight. I yipped for Alerick, then bounded over logs and under low branches to the ley-line.
Wolves yelped in pain. Footfalls pounded after me. Guards shouted, human voices mingling with the barks of wolves and thundering paws. Another pain-filled yip followed another. My heart pounded in my ears as my breath wheezed in and out of my lungs. The Guards were gaining on us and wolves were falling about me. Although we had fangs and claws, we were no match for Esoti’s ancient magic.
I dove into the river of gold, willing the magic into me. It swirled into my body, fast and furious. Needles of energy spiked in my body, infusing into my muscles and making every step agony. Another volley of whistling arrows arched through the sky. I sucked the magic from the ley-line and sent it out, protecting us with a golden dome.
Esoti’s ancient magic erupted in a shower of sparks as the arrows exploded when they struck the dome. Exhausted, I let the gold barrier fade.
The silver light of Alerick’s soul brushed against mine. Energy suffused my muscles as he lent me his strength. It gave me the boost I needed, but for how long? Esoti was gaining, and his magic was stronger. If he reached us, it would mean the end of my mates and the entire race of wolf Shifters. We all needed another energy boost.
I dug into the ley-line, drawing it into my body and then sending it into every wolf shifter. The wolves glowed with golden, ethereal light. Their paws flew like the wind, their fur streaked behind them, and we charged through the forest and away from the guards.
We charged into a clearing that overlooked the wolf village. Alerick skidded to a halt, threw back his head, and howled. The sound echoed through the valley, long and loud and soulful. The sound sunk into my depths, shattering my heart. This was the sound of battle. The sound of desperation.
I stood next to Alerick, panting hard, as Jarom and Eike joined us. Shouts of the guards sounded through the forest. Flashes of Esoti’s magic lit patches in the dark. They were coming for us, and Esoti was mad enough to kill every shifter in his sights.
I knew he would fulfil his promise. He would make me watch him kill everyone here, before torturing my mates. My muscles twinged with exhaustion. The magic from the ley-lines, although powerful, was not strong enough to fight Esoti’s brand of ancient magic.
My mates Changed, their naked forms surrounding me as wolves charged into the clearing.
“Get your mates and children out of here,” Alerick shouted.
Wolves yipped and bolted away. A few stayed, the wolves without mates and children, grim determination colouring their stances as they looked towards the oncoming threat. They would stay and fight because that was what they did, but they would die. They didn’t stand a chance against Esoti’s magic.
None of us did.
Esoti and his guards were moving in. I Changed, finding the comfort of Jarom and Eike’s arms about me. I clung to them, worry coursing through me. Theirs and mine mingled.
They were good men. The best. Alerick took care of his wolves as impending death snapped at our heels, putting mine and their care above his own. Jarom would have given his life for mine. Eike was so sweet, he’d spent hours carving a delicate design into a dagger. All of them had accepted me, even though I was a bedraggled slave, seeing the worth in me as no one else had done.
The bond with Jarom stretched taut with worry. His arms tightened and he crushed me against his chest as Eike circled his arms about both of us, using his body to protect me. They would give their lives for the woman who would keep on living.
My life was a living hell without them.
With them, I hadeverything.
Ancient magic needed to be fought with ancient magic. Ihadancient magic inside me. I clenched my eyes shut, digging deep, but the ball of golden light remained stuck.
There was one other way. The only way. Bond magic would unlock my ancient magic. I had to give it all. My mates wouldn’t survive otherwise.
I ploughed my fingers through Eike’s hair. “My mate. I need to bond with you.”
Eike rested his forehead against mine. “I am yours, Serafine. I always have been.”
The honesty of his words sunk into me. The sincere intent I’d ignored before now stared me in the face. He offered himself without reservation and without wanting my subservience in return. How could I have missed this? How could I have missed the stunning beauty of his soul?
I embraced his cyan light, letting it sink into me, merging with mine. His hand trembled at the back of my head, our breaths mingling and our souls blending. A sigh whispered through me when the three of us merged. Jarom, Eike and myself. Cyan and copper wove about me as their essences became mine and I became theirs.
I jerked as an arrow whizzed past, burying into a tree trunk. Electric blue magical light scorched the night. wolves yipped, snarled and growled. The clash of steel against steel punctuated the air. The sense of something heavy and dead wrapped about my fluttering heart as Esoti stepped into the clearing.
I tensed as Jarom’s arms tightened about me and Eike put his body in front of mine. Esoti stepped toward me, lethal intent in every step. I had to fight, and I had to fight him now if I didn’t want my entire world to be destroyed.
I dove inside myself, the copper and cyan lights flowing beside me, desperately reaching for the golden ball of ancient magic. I extended my fingers, feeling the magnetic power swirl towards me, but a flash of electric blue jolted me away.
Esoti strode through the clearing as though he owned it, the wand dangling between his fingers. “Now, now, slave. That magic is for me. You will give it to me or you will die trying. I will make sure of it.”
