Page 66 of Beastkin
As they filed out, my mother paused at the door. “We’re trying to save you, Phoenix. Why can’t you see that?”
“Because there’s nothing to save me from,” I said quietly. “Karrick is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. And you took him away. I willneverforgive you for that.”
She flinched and closed the door, leaving me alone with the weight of what I’d just done. The curse still hummed in my bones, a fierce satisfaction that the rope couldn’t quite suppress. Whatever happened to me, at least I’d struck back.
But as the adrenaline faded, the reality of my situation crashed over me again. I was trapped, powerless, and now exhausted from trying to overcome the binding magic. And I was so far from Karrick that our bond felt like nothing more than a distant echo. The rope burned against my wrists, a constant reminder that I was completely at their mercy.
I closed my eyes and tried once more to reach for him across the void, pouring every ounce of love and desperation I had left into that connection.
Please find me, I thought desperately.Please don’t give up. I love you more than anything, Karrick.
It felt desperate and stupid as I sunk down on the bed, tears filling my eyes. Nobody was going to save me. My parents had taken me away once without leaving a trace and I had no doubt they could do it again. I just hoped, when the time came, that I wouldn’t remember anything about my life at Widdershins Academy. I wasn’t sure I’d survive the pain if I did.
Chapter 26
Karrick
It turned out that teleporting near the Emberwood Estate wasn’t an issue. However, the three-mile hike through dark woods to get there was a bit unexpected. But Elias was adamant that if we had teleported in any closer, it would’ve alerted their security. And that was the last thing I wanted. I’d hike a thousand miles through the worst conditions imaginable if I had to. Anything to get Phoenix back in my arms.
The forest was dense and shadowy, with branches clawing at us as we moved silently through the underbrush. I kept my eyes on Elias’s back, following his lead as he navigated the winding path with practiced ease. Every step forward was a step closer to Phoenix, and that thought alone kept me moving despite the gnawing anxiety in my gut.
“We’re getting close,” Elias whispered, pausing to check a small compass-like device that glowed faintly in his palm. “Another half mile and we’ll reach the edge of their property.”
I nodded, too focused to speak. My senses were on high alert, every sound and scent registering with crystal clarity. The night air carried the faint smell of smoke and magic… and a distinctly high-class cleanliness that made my nose hairs curl. It made my hackles rise knowing that we were so close and I still couldn’t feel Phoenix. I knew they’d done something to him, something magical to keep us apart.
Wild moved like a shadow beside us, occasionally disappearing completely only to reappear a few yards ahead. It was almost like he could slip between the planes in an instant and slip back without a sound. His fae magic made him nearly impossible to track, which would be crucial when we reached the wards. Atlas and Caden flanked our group, their werewolf and dryad senses as sharp as mine, while Lila brought up the rear a fair distance back, her vampire speed making her the perfect lookout should someone try to sneak up on us.
“Remember,” Atlas murmured as we paused at a small clearing, “stick to the plan. Wild gets us through the outer wards, then Elias disables the inner ones. We find Phoenix, and we get out. No confrontations unless absolutely necessary.”
I growled low in my throat. “If his parents get in my way?—”
“Then we deal with them,” Caden finished, his voice firm but understanding. “But our priority is Phoenix. Nothing else. This needs to be as covert as possible.”
He was right, of course, but it didn’t make it any easier to swallow my rage. The thought of Phoenix’s parents, the people who were supposed to love and protect him, stealing him away just because he decided to date me filled me with an anger I could barely control. I flexed my claws, cold fog forming around them as the magic I’d yet to learn to control kicked in. I forced myself to take a deep breath, tamping my magic back down. It was getting harder and harder to keep inside.
“I see it,” Elias whispered suddenly, pointing through a gap in the trees. “There.”
Suddenly the Emberwood Estate loomed ahead of us, a sprawling mansion of dark stone and gleaming windows. It sat atop a small hill, surrounded by immaculately kept grounds. From ourvantage point in the forest, I could make out the shimmer of magical wards encircling the property like an invisible dome.
“Those are some serious protections,” Wild murmured, his eyes narrowing as he studied the magical barrier. “Multi-layered, old magic. Nasty stuff.”
“Can you get through them?” I asked, unable to keep the desperation from my voice.
Wild flashed me a grin that seemed to glow in the darkness. “Darling, I was breaking into places like this when your ancestors were still figuring out how to make fire. Just give me a minute.”
Wild approached the barrier with fluid grace, his hands moving in patterns I couldn’t follow. His fingers traced invisible lines in the air, leaving faint trails of green light that faded almost instantly. His eyes gleamed with an otherworldly focus as he worked, humming something under his breath that sounded like a lullaby but made my skin prickle.
“There,” he whispered after several tense minutes. “I’ve found a weakness. A tiny imperfection where two different ward spells meet.” He glanced back at us with a mischievous grin. “Like finding a loose thread on an expensive sweater—pull it just right, and the whole thing starts to unravel.”
He beckoned us closer, then pressed his palm against what looked like empty air. The space rippled like water, and a small opening appeared, barely large enough for one person to slip through at a time.
“Friends and those still under review, your doorway awaits,” Wild said with a theatrical bow. “But be quick. I can only hold it for about thirty seconds.”
Atlas went first, then Caden. I hesitated, looking at Wild.
“Will this alert anyone inside?” I asked.
“Not if you move quickly and don’t touch the edges,” Wild replied, strain showing in his face as he maintained the opening. “Now go!”