Page 33

CHAPTER 33

E lora yanked the front door open, her hands already starting to glow as the magic pulsed through her veins. She took a deep breath, trying to control the surge brought on by her adrenaline.

She’d brushed it off with Jonah, but she’d been a little disconcerted by how strong her magic was when she’d woken. She felt much like she had during puberty when her magic had been a constant pulse through her body, a hard to control force bubbling just below the surface of her skin, demanding to be set free.

More screeching jolted her back to the current problem.

Fenton, the cheetah shifter from the security company, stood on the doorstep. Dangling from the big shifter’s hand, an imp kicked his feet furiously and swore a blue streak.

“Let go of me, you hairy motherfucker!” The high-pitched whine of the imp’s voice instantly grated on Elora’s nerves.

Apparently, she wasn’t the only one because Fenton growled and gave the imp a shake. “Quiet, you little shit.”

“Suck my dick, cat boy!” The imp grabbed his crotch and thrust it at Fenton. “Put me down before I put a hex on you that keeps your tiny dick limp for the rest of your fucking life.”

Nimera pushed past Elora, reaching out to cup the imp’s face. “Be calm,” she said softly.

The imp calmed immediately, hanging limply from Fenton’s hand as he stared at Nimera.

“I saw him skulking around the house,” Fenton said. “Took me nearly five minutes to catch the little fucker.”

“I let you catch me,” the imp said. “You think your clumsy ass could catch me if I didn’t want you to?”

“Shut the fuck up,” Fenton said.

“How about you go home to that three-dollar whore you call a wife and leave the grown-ups to talk?” the imp said.

A deep growl rose from Fenton’s chest, and Elora watched in alarm as his pupils narrowed and his eyes turned brilliant emerald. Golden fur sprouted on his face, and he lifted the imp with one powerful arm until they were face to face.

He bared his fangs at the imp. “Insult my mate again, and I will have your head, imp.”

Fear flooded the imp’s face, and he gave Fenton a shit-eating grin. “Forgive me. I went too far.”

Fenton growled again before lowering the imp. “You want me to toss him?”

“I bring news of your brother,” the imp said quickly.

Behind her, Jonah inhaled sharply, and Nimera gripped her hand tightly.

“We’ll talk with him,” Elora said to Fenton. “Thank you.”

The cheetah shifter nodded and dropped the imp. He landed nimbly on his feet and flipped Fenton the bird before scurrying past Elora and into the house.

With another soft growl, Fenton returned to his car. Elora shut the door, and she and the others stared silently at the imp. Like all imps, he stood less than two feet tall. Imps came in every shade of colour, and this one was a deep royal purple. His large bat-like ears were positioned high on his head and stuck straight up. His leathery looking skin was covered in short and bristly purple hair, and his oversized eyes were golden in colour with dark pupils. His long, thin tail whipped back and forth in the air behind him through a ragged hole cut in his black cotton pants. He tapped one clawed toe on the marble floor as he greedily studied the foyer.

“What do you know of my brother?” Jonah asked.

“I have been sent by my mistress Malencia,” the imp said, lifting his chin haughtily. “She wishes for me to convey a message.”

“Then get on with it,” Elora said.

The imp looked her up and down before sniffing derisively. “You don’t scare me, fire witch.”

Knowing she shouldn’t, but her patience limited, her magic screaming to be free, and her temper frayed by her meeting with the WWC, Elora murmured an incantation. The end of the imp’s tail caught fire, and he squealed and stomped frantically on it to extinguish the flame before glaring at her. “That was rude!”

“It didn’t burn you,” Elora said. It was true. The spell she cast wasn’t for a flame that burned, but she had enjoyed the fear on the imp’s face a little too much, she supposed.

He sniffed and inspected his tail again before giving her a dirty look. “It’s still very rude and…”

He trailed off as he caught sight of Cece, his golden eyes lighting up with undeniable lust. “Ooh, you’re a pretty one then, aren’t you?”

He peered around Elora, flashing his small white teeth at Cece in an approximation of a smile. “I like your fat ass, human. You wanna sit on my face, and then I’ll give you the goods after?”

He grabbed his crotch again, winking suggestively at Cece.

“Ew,” Cece said.

“Don’t be like that, sweetheart,” the imp said. “You’re giving me a stiffy like you wouldn’t believe.”

“My goal isn’t to give your micro penis a semi. I’d curb you for a donut if given the chance,” Cece said derisively.

“Ooh, I’m in love,” the imp said.

“Tell us the message before I lose my temper,” Elora said, raising her glowing hands.

The imp shrank back before snarling at her. “Fine! Don’t be such a bitch.”

Jonah glared at the imp. “Watch your mouth.”

The imp backed away before straightening and giving Jonah a haughty look. “You are to meet my mistress in Parsons Woods at the old millhouse tomorrow. She will have your precious brother with her.”

“I’ll be there,” Jonah said grimly.

“And her.” The imp pointed at Elora.

“No,” Jonah said.

“Yes. My mistress was very clear that it is to be the both of you,” the imp said.

“Elora has nothing to do with this,” Jonah said.

The imp laughed. “My mistress disagrees.”

He glanced at Elora before returning his gaze to Jonah. “Only you and the fire witch, shapeshifter. If you bring anyone else or if you do not bring the witch, my mistress will snap your brother’s neck.”

When Jonah didn’t reply, the imp skipped to the front door, his gaze lingering on Cece as he said, “One o’clock tomorrow, shapeshifter. If you fail to show, Malencia will kill your precious brother.”

“I said I’ll be there,” Jonah growled.

The imp grinned before leaping up and grabbing the door handle. He turned it with a grunt and swung the door open. He ran outside and raced down the sidewalk, giving Fenton the finger again as he passed the SUV before turning the corner and disappearing.

Cece shut the door, shivering in the blast of cold air. “You can’t meet her alone at Parsons Woods, Elora. She’ll kill you and Jonah and Caleb. You know that.”

“What choice do we have?” Elora asked.

“We find her first,” Jonah said. “If we attack when she isn’t expecting it, we’ll have a better chance of rescuing Caleb.”

“She’s too powerful,” Cece said. “Elora can’t fight her alone.”

“If we take her by surprise, I can beat her,” Elora said.

“You won’t be alone,” Nimera said. “I will speak with my family. If you can find Malencia, the fae will fight with you.”

“Will they?” Jonah asked. “They don’t get involved in human affairs.”

“I am marrying a human, our child will be half-human, and they know how much Caleb means to me,” Nimera said. “They will help us.”

She took Elora’s hand, squeezing it lightly. “I will speak with them now. Once you find Malencia, text me.”

She left the house, and Elora slipped her arms around Jonah. He looked like he was going to vomit, and she squeezed him tight. “It’ll be okay, honey.”

“I don’t want you there,” he said.

“You heard the imp. I have to be there, or she’ll kill Caleb.”

Jonah muttered a curse, and she could see the guilt in his face. She kissed him, cupping his face and saying, “We’re in this together, honey. I love you, and I’m not going anywhere.”

Cece cleared her throat behind them. “I’m going to head home for a bit, Elora.”

Elora turned. “Cece, wait. I need to talk to you about something.”

Cece hesitated, and Elora’s worry that something was wrong with her best friend intensified. “It won’t take long, honey.”

Cece nodded, and Elora turned back to Jonah. “Can you give us a few minutes?”

“Yes.” He kissed her and went upstairs.

She waited until she heard the bedroom door close before smiling at Cece. “Will you tell me what’s wrong, honey?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” Cece said. “Other than my best friend nearly dying.”

She glanced at her hands, something she’d been doing almost compulsively since breakfast this morning.

Elora took her hands, squeezing them gently. “Honey, I know you’re upset about something. Please talk to me.”

“You have enough to worry about right now,” Cece said.

“I want to know what’s wrong,” Elora said.

Cece sighed. “Bren had two shifters, bear shifters, I think, take you out of the hospital while Tori and Judd staged a distraction. But I didn’t know that. So, when I saw them take you, I chased after them and confronted them. I told them to return you to your room, but they refused. And then the one, he… he touched me and my magic…”

“What?” Elora asked.

“My magic went -”

Elora’s phone chirped, and she groaned. “I’m sorry, Cece. It’s Charissa’s ring, though, and she might have some information on Malencia.”

“Answer it,” Cece said.

“We’re tabling this discussion for now,” Elora said as she pulled her phone from her pocket, “but we’re coming back to it.”

Cece just nodded before glancing at her hands again. Elora answered the call, listening quietly before saying, “We’ll be right there.”

She ended the call, and, excitement brewing in her belly, Elora said, “Charissa has someone at the shop who can help us find Malencia.”