Page 7 of Magic & Secrets (Twisted Magic #1)
THROUGH THE DAY, WE raced to catch up to the Lion and Wolf Shifters. The weather cooperated, remaining mild despite the changes in terrain. Arbdorre Territory was mostly untamed, with a scattering of settlements spread out along the southern end where we tracked our prey.
Likely sensing us hunting them, the Wolf pack and Lion pride split up halfway through a patch of dense forest. Delta never slowed down, choosing to track the Lion Shifters’ scent. Either target would die the same, so I followed my packmate without hesitation.
As the sun came up and we moved over rocky hills, we erased the distance between ourselves and the Lion Shifters. The pride’s scent grew stronger. All day and night, we traveled relentlessly through forests and past rivers. Once locked onto a target, Bane Shifters refused to give up the chase.
On the second day, just past the hottest hours, the Lion Shifters made camp. Stopping nearby, I rested with my packmates on a hill overlooking a human settlement. A Witch’s magic protected the outpost from predators.
As the Lion Shifters settled in, we shifted into our human forms and took a quick dip in a stream to hydrate ourselves. Fatigue and hunger washed away with my sweat.
Exiting the water, I sniffed the air. The scent of the Lion Shifters was strong. I also detected the Witch’s protection spell.
As the wind shifted around me, I picked up a different scent. I lifted my chin and inhaled sharply, wanting more of the intoxicating aroma with a hint of cinnamon. This was the scent from my dreams about the mysterious female.
I closed my eyes and relished the sweet odor. The female in my dreams felt kind-hearted. I refused to believe she aided those who attacked Haven Junction, yet the timing of her scent felt too coincidental.
Behind me stood Delta and Koda, wearing expressions of dazed confusion. Had the Bane Shifters been retired for too long to handle such a long hunt?
Koda’s gaze sharpened first. He glanced around and cracked his neck. Ready for battle, he nodded at me.
Delta took longer to find his way past the daze. I watched him sway. His golden eyes were awash in confusion and an emotion I couldn’t quite detect. Suddenly, he snapped to attention and walked toward the Lion Shifters making camp at the base of a small hill.
With our scents masked while we remained in human form, we prowled closer. Normally, Bane Shifters would rush into battle. Yet, I hoped the Lion Shifters might give away something in conversation to help us understand the reasoning behind the Haven Junction massacre.
We crouched down in the brush, watching our prey. They ate rabbits, fighting over the scraps. They kept looking at a sack similar to the one the Necromancer carried with his sacrifices.
A heavy breeze rustled the trees, leaving behind more of the alluring scent. The Lion Shifters didn’t react to it. Koda and Delta instantly looked around, seeking out more.
Closing my eyes, I felt as if the female was watching me. I imagined her conjuring her little spell to see through my eyes like I saw through hers. Where was she now?
Bane Shifters were immune to most magic. The Armgard were the exception with their ancient magic capable of burning our flesh faster than we could regenerate. Even then, their sorcery came in bursts. When they needed to recharge, we would rush past their defenses and spill their blood.
In this new world, where Wolf Shifter packs worked with Chauve Vampyres, Necromancers, and Sorcerers, was the magic in the air capable of destroying my kind?
Next to me, Delta and Koda tried to break free from the distracting magic. Their eyes glowed silver with unease. We might be walking into an ambush. The Lion Shifters didn’t seem particularly fearful of us catching them.
Sniffing the air, I considered the many times I had faced Sorcerers, Witches, Necromancers, and other wielders of magic. Their spells and potions burned my skin, tearing flesh from the bone.
In the end, they died, and my kind lived. Every time, without fail, the Bane Shifters came out triumphant. Today would prove no different.
Lifting my chin, I dug deep inside myself and awakened the beast I hadn’t allowed out in a century. A killing machine was useless on the quiet ridges of Mt. Elysium. Today, that human-designed monster would taste Lion Shifter blood.
Peering through the thick brush, I zeroed in on the pride leader. The Lion Shifters had taken their human forms and appeared in a celebratory mood.
I suspected that when we'd channeled our human forms, the Lion Shifters believed they’d lost their hunters.
This was na?ve behavior, even from such young Shifters.
They might have grown up long after the Bane Shifters patrolled the Territories, yet the legend of my kind ought to be enough for them to remain on guard.
The potent magic in the air didn’t seem to affect the adolescent Lion Shifters. Meanwhile, Delta couldn’t stop growling at whatever spell rode the wind.
The westbound breeze suddenly stopped as if hitting a wall. My gaze focused on the west side of the clearing, moments before the pride noticed the three red-cloaked figures appear from the thick brush.
They were female. I could tell by their hands resting casually on the butts of their swords strapped against their hips.
The pride’s leader growled, “Be gone or be dead.”
One of the figures announced, “We have warrants.”
The females wore Elven battle gear of black knee-high boots, leather leggings, and red cloaks. I spotted the telltale bows and arrows characteristic of the Elven Empire. Yet, these creatures smelled like no Elf I’d ever encountered.
Delta began growling next to me again. I silenced him with an uplifted hand.
“Warrants?” asked another Lion Shifter, laughing and wagging his genitals at the three females. “What can you do with warrants?”
“You’ve committed an unprovoked attack on Haven Junction,” announced a second female.
Their faces remained shadowed by their hoods. I scanned their gear for signs of magical affiliation. Were these human warriors? Had the Murade trained their people to hunt magic folk after the Bane Shifters were gone?
The alpha moved slowly, stepping to his right and then his left. He moved with the ease of a bored housecat. I watched the creature inch closer to the female warriors.
“Are your cuffs magical?” he taunted. “Can they hold our flesh while you bring us to a cage?”
The three figures hesitated, perhaps frightened by the aggressive stance of a predator ready to attack.
Though I considered aiding the warriors, I was unnerved by the magic lingering in the air. The world felt different away from Mt. Elysium. I didn’t trust that the females were any safer than the Lion Shifters.
Next to me, Delta’s nearly undetectable growling persisted. A deep rage bubbled inside my old friend. I felt his control about to slip.
“Will you cuff me?” asked the Shifter again.
The figures lowered their hoods and glanced at each other. I inhaled sharply at the sight of them. The females owned the fair beauty of the succubi from the Cape of Non, yet these warriors smelled nothing like those temptresses.
Strange markings covered their faces in red and black paint. I suspected these designs masked their magic. The Murade were known to hide the existence of their newest experiments. The Bane Shifters had roamed the Territories for decades before the government admitted to creating a new weapon.
The lithesome warriors seemed comically trivial when compared to the muscled Lion Shifters circling them now. I couldn’t imagine the Murade had designed the females for this kind of warfare. Such delicate creatures would be best suited for infiltration and assassination.
The young warriors looked akin to each other. Standing in the middle was a fiery redhead. At her right stood a black-haired beauty. Finally, there was the blonde female who shone as bright and invigorating as any sunrise.
The beast in me refused to allow these beautiful creatures to be torn limb from limb. Whether they were human soldiers or a new breed of Elven warriors, they would be no match for a pride of young, arrogant Lion Shifters.
“We don’t come bearing arrest warrants,” the blonde told the Shifter standing before her.
Magic crackled in the air. A breeze swept through the clearing. The Shifters prepared to take their lion form. The scent of cinnamon brushed against my nose, leaving me distracted even as I should attack the enemy.
The blonde warrior produced a small blade from her cloak. Moving impressively fast, she sliced clean through the Shifter’s wrists, still mockingly set out for the cuffs.
His pained roar set off the others. They shifted with ease. Quick and fearsome, they moved toward the females.
Without hesitation, the Elven-like warriors attacked, dodging swinging claws and snapping jaws. Each of their strikes held ferocious weight. Despite their skill, I went cold with dread and felt certain they would fail.
Without thinking, I moved out of my hiding spot. Koda and Delta were close behind me. Rather than focus on a target to rip to shreds, I could only see the blonde dancing amongst the madness. She spun around her opponents, dodging their attacks while slicing off limbs.
When her gaze met mine, the air burst from my lungs. I felt as if the world itself had dropped from beneath me. I was a creature trapped within a free fall.
The blonde warrior’s arms went slack as she stared at me. Her moment of weakness allowed a Lion Shifter to make contact. His powerful blow sent the female flying high into the air.
Rushing forward, I caught her as she descended toward the ground. The warrior’s face was impossibly perfect, like an oil painting come to life. I was surprised to discover freckles across her nose as if the artist carefully added them in the final touchup.
Her jade eyes stared startled at me. She seemed ready to fling herself from my arms. A moment passed. The magic in the air crashed down on me, leaving me lightheaded yet invigorated.
Nearby, the battle raged on. My mind demanded I set her down. Vengeance was owed to my kind. I needed to set aside this longing.
Despite my predator instincts, I choose to hold her close. This creature belonged to me.
Was this the female from my dreams? Had she found me on purpose, or did fate bring us together? Was the delicate beauty my ally or foe? Mostly, I found myself curious about her name. I had imagined dozens of possibilities.
I soon realized I wasn’t alone in this insane need. The warrior’s fear quickly faded from her alluring gaze. A joyful smile warmed her face, leaving me wondering what horrifically tempting magic I had stumbled upon in this new world.