Page 13

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

REECE

Reece leaned against his motorcycle, his arms crossed, staring out at the twisted, gnarled trees that surrounded the remote spot Fabian had chosen for their meeting.

The moonlight barely pierced through the thick canopy, casting long shadows that made the place feel suffocating.

The dirt path leading to the small, dilapidated hut they were supposed to meet in was barely visible now, swallowed by the creeping fog that hung low over the ground.

“This is a waste of time,” Reece muttered under his breath, kicking at a rock and watching it skitter into the darkness.

The place reeked of decay, the kind of stench that set his wolf instincts on edge.

Ron, standing beside him, took out his phone for what must have been the tenth time in the last ten minutes.

“He’ll show,” Ron said, though his voice held little conviction.

The man’s contact, Fabian—a black magic user, or warlock, or whatever he preferred to call himself—had been playing hard to get for over a week.

First, they'd been supposed to meet at Fabian's house, but he'd vanished without a trace, no warning or explanation.

Now, here they were, chasing him to the middle of nowhere.

Chad paced nearby, his leather jacket catching the occasional glint from the moon as he moved.

He was just as restless as Reece, maybe even more. They were all on edge, and understandably so.

Just as Reece was about to suggest they pack it in, a faint light flickered to life in the distance.

The small, isolated hut that Fabian was supposedly squatting in had finally shown signs of life.

Reece’s sharp wolf senses immediately picked up the faint smell of smoke, likely from a fire inside.

“There he is,” Ron said, shoving his phone into his pocket. “Let’s go.”

The three of them approached the rundown shack.

The place looked like it was barely standing, with rotting wooden planks making up the walls and a sagging roof that looked like it might collapse at any moment.

Fabian had certainly chosen the creepiest place to hide out.

Reece could see why; no one in their right mind would come looking for someone here.

Ron knocked on the door, his knuckles rapping against the brittle wood.

The door creaked open almost immediately, and standing in the entrance was Fabian.

Reece grimaced instinctively. Fabian was even less appealing in person than the rumors had suggested.

Greasy, black hair hung in limp strands around his gaunt face, and his pale skin made him look like a corpse that had been dragged from the grave.

He gave them a yellow-toothed smile, one that made Reece want to punch him on instinct.

“Come on in, my wolf guests,” Fabian crooned, his voice a thin, rasping sound.

He stepped aside, gesturing for them to enter. Reece exchanged a look with Ron and Chad.

The warlock gave off bad vibes—everything from his appearance to the dingy space he inhabited screamed danger.

But there was no backing out now. They needed Fabian’s help, as distasteful as the situation was.

The inside of the hut was worse than the outside.

A small fire burned in the center of the room, casting flickering shadows across the walls, illuminating the strange and unsettling objects that lined every surface.

A large cauldron bubbled in one corner, emitting a foul-smelling steam.

Shelves stacked with jars of strange substances—some unidentifiable, others clearly parts of animals or… worse—lined the walls.

A large, intricate circle was drawn on the floor in dark red, and Reece had a sickening suspicion about what the substance might be.

Fabian noticed Reece’s gaze lingering on the circle.

“Protection,” Fabian said, his smile widening. “We wouldn’t want any unwanted spirits interrupting our little chat, now would we?”

Reece clenched his jaw, doing his best to hide his revulsion.

“You’re a hard warlock to find,” he said, looking around the space with barely concealed disdain.

“There are unsavory people after me,” Fabian replied nonchalantly, as if discussing the weather. “But when Ron here told me it was a dragon shifter you wanted to get even with… well, I couldn’t resist. My family and I have a longstanding grudge against their kind.”

“Is that why you agreed to help?” Ron asked, his arms folded across his chest, his voice guarded.

Fabian shrugged. “In part. But, of course, I don’t do anything for free.” He paused, his eyes gleaming.

Chad, who had been quiet up until now, stepped forward, his impatience palpable.

“Can you help us get rid of the barrier, or are you just wasting our time?” Chad demanded.

Fabian’s smile faltered for a moment before he regained his composure.

“Getting rid of the barrier entirely is beyond my talents,” he admitted. “But I can do something better.”

Reece narrowed his eyes, already growing frustrated with the warlock’s cryptic responses.

“Then what can you do for us?” Reece asked.

“The barrier around Sky Stead isn’t complex,” Fabian explained, his tone condescending. “It’s merely an alarm system, designed to alert the inhabitants if any paranormal intruders cross it. It’s clever, but not foolproof. I can disguise you—make the barrier recognize you as mere humans.”

Reece’s eyes flicked to Ron and Chad. Disguising themselves as humans would mean bypassing the dragons’ alert system.

It was risky, but it could work. If they could slip into Sky Stead undetected, they’d have a real shot at getting close to their target.

“And how do you plan to do that?” Reece asked, not bothering to hide the suspicion in his voice.

Fabian grinned again, this time more sinister. “With a little magic, of course,” Fabian answered.

He turned to the table behind him, where an assortment of ingredients and vials were strewn about in disarray.

He picked up a large, rusted goblet and began pouring liquids from various bottles into it.

The smell of the concoction was foul, a pungent mix of rot and sulfur that made Reece’s stomach churn.

“Here we go,” Fabian said, holding the goblet out to them. “Drink this.”

Reece recoiled slightly. “What the hell is that?” Reece demanded.

“A tonic,” Fabian explained with a grin that made Reece’s skin crawl. “It’ll alter your scent, your aura. To the barrier, you’ll smell like nothing more than harmless humans.”

Ron took the goblet, his face grim, and after a brief hesitation, he took a swig.

He gagged, his face contorting in disgust, but he swallowed it down. Chad followed, his expression sour.

Reece stared at the goblet for a moment, his instincts screaming at him not to trust the warlock.

But if this was the only way to get into Sky Stead, then he had no choice.

With a growl of frustration, Reece grabbed the goblet and drank the foul liquid.

It burned all the way down, leaving a sour taste in his mouth that lingered unpleasantly.

Almost immediately, he felt a wave of weakness wash over him, his muscles going slack as if the strength had been drained from his body.

“What the hell…?” Reece muttered, steadying himself against the wall.

“The effects will pass,” Fabian assured them. “Your bodies are adjusting to the magic. In a few hours, you’ll be back to normal. By then, the spell will have taken hold, and you’ll be able to test it.”

Reece exchanged a wary glance with Ron and Chad. They all felt it—the wariness, the uncertainty.

But they didn’t have a choice. They were already in too deep.

"Chad, pay him," Reece said.

Chad handed Fabian a bag full of cash.

"Happy to do business with you, gentlemen," Fabian said.

“Let’s go,” Ron said, his voice firm despite the unease in his eyes.

He pushed the door open, leading the way out into the night.

The fog was thicker now, wrapping around them as they made their way back to their vehicles.

Reece swung his leg over the seat of his bike, his mind still reeling from what had just happened.

The weakness was still there, a heavy lethargy that weighed him down. But Fabian’s assurances rang in his ears.

They had to trust it. They had to believe this would work.

With a final glance at the creepy, dilapidated hut, Reece started his engine, the roar of his bike shattering the eerie silence of the forest.

Time to see if Fabian’s little potion worked.