Page 25 of Beyond the Veil (Endangered Fae #4)

“Gentlemen, this is Finn,” Diego began softly, pausing between sentences to let Tarek translate.

“Finn is a pooka, an Irish shapeshifter. He’s been my companion for several years.

” My love, my husband, but that might cause issues I don’t have time for.

“He’s seen me through dangerous moments and saved my life several times.

I trust him as I do no other being alive.

What I hope is that together, we can combine the tiny bits of magic that leaks past our lead dampeners.

If we concentrate on breaking his iron bindings, he’ll be able to help us gather information.

Help us find a way to leave this place. Once freed, he can become any creature we need—a sparrow, a mouse, a snake if that works best.”

Many of them had heard this before, but he repeated his plea for the newcomers. So far, they all listened with varied expressions of hope and jaded wariness, but they were still attentive.

“All I ask is that you try. Join hands and concentrate with me on breaking the collar first. We’ve done no harm if we can’t manage, but if we succeed, we may see the outside world again.”

Diego paused to look at the men in turn, waiting until he received a nod from each. “Good. Thank you. Nusair, please set him down in the middle of the circle.”

Some of the men startled, as if they hadn’t really noticed Nusair before that moment.

The djinn might not have been able to access his full potential, but he obviously could still manage basic magic such as shifting people’s perception just enough to go unnoticed.

I only saw him because he wanted me to . Sneaky bastard .

Nusair must have seen the realization on Diego’s face since he shot him a wink and a smug grin as he set Finn down. Surprised or not, the men in the circle still joined hands, obviously determined to try anything.

“ Coraje, mi vida ,” Diego whispered, placing his right hand on Finn’s collar.

Finn placed a shaking hand over Diego’s and managed a little squeeze. If the coven effect didn’t work, Diego was determined to find a way to pry the damn collar off with his bare hands and sheer desperation.

Saeed, on Diego’s right, placed a hand on his shoulder to complete the circle. There was no shock of connection as he’d heard others describe, but when he closed his eyes and felt for it, there was a low thrum , a sensation just maddeningly out of reach.

“Concentrate,” Diego murmured, aware in a distant way that Tarek still translated. “Think hard about that collar breaking. Only that. About the iron weakening. Letting go.”

Saaed’s hand tightened on his shoulder and it was as if he had suddenly shoved Diego under a streetlamp, a small circle of light against the oppressive murk.

He latched on to the tiny stream of magic, gasping.

Sweat dripped from his forehead, but he ignored it.

The trickle kept sliding through his grip, the lead numbing his magical senses and making him clumsy.

Like being in frigid water. But not deep enough to drown .

Though he was panting with the effort, soon there was enough to gather a small puddle, just enough to begin feeding the flows into the collar.

He concentrated on the collar’s structure, imagining a seam forming under his hand, encouraging the iron to break its bonds on a molecular level along that seam. Yes…come on…come on…

Beside him, Saeed began to chant softly, or maybe it was a prayer.

Another man joined him, then another. The growing number of voices distracted Diego for a moment, and his little pool of magic slipped.

Frustrated, he was about to ask them to stop when a frisson of power shot through him, the sharpness of that sudden, concentrated stream nearly pitching him forward atop Finn.

Focal point. The chant. Dear God…it’s not much but it’s so bright, so beautiful . Liquid sunlight .

Working the magic didn’t become easier, but there was more .

Teeth gritted, Diego redoubled his efforts.

The men around him faded as all his focus pulled inward again.

There was only him and the iron. Small cracks sprouted under his hand.

Finn might have whimpered but all Diego felt was the vibration as he poured the shaft of magic sun into the cracks, creating a wedge to open them wider.

His vision began to darken, but other hands still held him steady.

With a shrieking groan, the iron finally gave up and the collar split.

He broke the circle for a moment to put both hands on the collar, though Tarek grabbed for his arm and soon made the circle whole again.

Prying his fingers into the seam, Diego heaved, using both magical and physical strength. The loud snap nearly deafened him as he sat down hard, staring blankly at the two pieces of broken collar.

Gasps and cheers broke out around him while Diego panted, waiting for his lungs to stop burning before he could speak.

“ Carino, I don’t…” Diego gulped another breath. “I don’t think I can do it again today. Can you shift with the cuffs still on?”

Finn shook his head. “It does feel ever so much better, my hero. Thank you for that. But I still can’t manage.”

Damn . “I suppose another day won’t make much difference. We’ll try the wrist cuffs tomorrow. Maybe that will be enough.”

“I may be able to help.” Nusair bulled his way into the circle and took Finn in his arms. “Don’t give me that look, little sorcerer. You have your kumbaya circle. I have mine. Back off.”

“But—”

“Let him try.” Finn patted Diego’s knee. “If we can connect as you did with the others…I know it’s not the same. But perhaps Nusair can lend me a bit of strength.”

Nusair cradled Finn’s head in the crook of his neck, the position far too intimate for Diego’s taste, but he clamped his mouth shut on any protests.

He understood human magic, not djinn. Finn whimpered and thrashed, clutching tight to Nusair, but soon the familiar blue glow began to spark and spread along Finn’s body.

His arms and legs shrank just enough that he was able to shake the cuffs free and the transformation swept over him in a sudden cerulean wave.

Finn vanished from Nusair’s arms and a tiny black bird replaced him, perched on Nusair’s knee.

“Better, little cousin?”

The bird cheeped and answered, “Yes, so much better. Epically better. Does one say that?” Finn’s deep voice sounded absurd coming from such a tiny creature, but at least he seemed stronger.

“You’re handsome enough to say whatever you please,” Nusair said with a chuckle.

“I think I might have a bit of a fly. With perhaps several flies along the way. Would that be all right, love?”

Diego waved a hand in a shooing motion toward the ceiling slits. “More than all right. I’m so relieved that you’re free. Just don’t tire yourself, please.”

The bird hopped from Nusair’s knee to Diego’s. “Thank you, love. I would say the same to you, but I fear it’s too late. I won’t be long.”

Finn ruffled his feathers. Close up, Diego decided he was a black wren, though he didn’t think such a thing existed outside pooka wrens. Then with a flip of his wings, Finn took flight, fluttering around one of the arrow slits a moment before he slipped through to the outside world.

A bittersweet ache lodged in Diego’s heart, part of him overjoyed that Finn had made it out, part of him wishing he could tell Finn to keep going, just to fly away instead of returning to the dark.

“Diego.” Tarek caught his elbow. “Perhaps you should lie down.”

“I think… I think I will.” Using Finn’s shirt as a pillow, he curled up on the concrete floor as the room tilted. “Fair warning. I do have a seizure disorder and they didn’t send any of my meds with me.”

“We’ll watch over you. I was nearly a doctor, you know.”

With the world steadying, Diego managed a little chuckle, resolving to rest until Finn came back. He wasn’t at all shocked that Nusair had vanished again.