Page 8 of Magic & Secrets (Twisted Magic #1)

MY BEVY ARRIVED OUTSIDE a medium-sized settlement called Opal Outpost. After leaving our horses at the local stables, we followed the Lion Shifters’ scent into the woodlands.

The wind danced around us, bringing a particular odor with it. My sisters and I froze. We knew Bane Shifters were already in the mix, but I was surprised to find their scent so strong.

I glanced at my sisters, silently asking if we should back off. Mina closed her eyes and sensed the Bane Shifters’ location. Enya’s gaze flashed toward where the Lion Shifters made camp. We could hear them bragging over their kills.

“The Bane Shifters are very close,” Mina whispered. “They are downwind and in human form. I don’t think the Lion Shifters know they’re being watched.”

“Should we back off like Gregory instructed?” Enya asked.

Solme Divige’s magic surged, answering our question. I shuddered at her unspoken demand. Mina and Enya also looked shaken by the ancient one’s insistence. Gregory’s orders were immediately forgotten.

We lifted our hoods over our heads and moved toward the Lion Shifters.

Mina conjured a lie about warrants. I heard the unease in her voice.

We knew the Bane Shifters were watching.

All our lives, we were taught that the worst fate for a New Armgard warrior would be to stand before our mortal enemies. Now, we chose to reveal ourselves.

Each Lion Shifter was over six feet tall, leanly muscled, and completely nude.

The adolescent males viewed us as a meal rather than the harbinger of their doom.

I wanted to feel the same confidence as I did against the Chauve Vampyres.

Except I felt Roque’s icy gaze on me. My mind swam until the moment blood was drawn.

Warriors at our core, my bevy battled the larger beasts. Some transformed completely into lions. Others partially morphed with human stances and clawed hands.

I moved with ease through the shifting creatures, dodging their claws and maneuvering around their changing sizes. These were healthy young Lion Shifters. Each of them could kill a dozen humans within several heartbeats. However, I sensed they weren’t seasoned fighters.

Like many unruly adolescents, they lacked a plan and coordination. None of them could have managed a successful strike if I weren’t distracted by the appearance of the Bane Shifters exiting the brush in all their naked glory.

Magic sizzled around them, like remnants of their vanquished foes. Their power was unnatural and intensely masculine.

I was immediately dumbstruck by the sight of Roque. At least seven feet tall, his body was covered in golden skin and rippling muscles. His chestnut hair and thick beard were damp, possibly from a quick swim. Roque’s icy gaze flashed silver as he watched the battle. I was lost in its power.

Once his sweet scent reached me, I became intoxicated by a painful need. I instantly forgot every bit of my training. His beautiful gaze seared through my thoughts, leaving me as helpless as in my dreams.

The Lion Shifter’s blow barely registered in my stunned mind. I sailed upward before dropping into Roque's powerful arms. I saw nothing more than Roque’s ice blue eyes holding mine.

His dominating scent filled the air, inspiring thoughts of a time of ancient beasts and eternal darkness. I felt my magic struggling to break free. I wanted to show Roque everything inside me.

Snapping to my senses, I avoided using my magic and bringing doom to my sisters.

I considered behaving submissively toward the Bane Shifter.

He wasn’t a mindless beast. His kind followed a code.

If I seemed harmless, Roque wouldn’t end my life.

This creature had six hundred confirmed kills.

He knew how to enter an outpost, wipe out his enemy, and leave innocents unharmed.

I had nothing to fear from him if I acted benignly.

Yet, instead of embracing submission, I stared straight into Roque’s marvelous blue eyes and refused to look away.

Roque cocked an eyebrow and offered me a question. “Did you forget you were in battle?”

When faced with such a beautiful and commanding creature, I could only speak the truth. “Yes, in fact, I did.”

The other two Bane Shifters rushed into battle. Past the dizzying magic flooding my senses, I felt a gnawing worry over my sisters’ safety. Who were the Bane Shifters battling now—the Lion Shifters or my bevy?

Despite my worries, I couldn’t look away from Roque long enough to survey the battle taking place nearby.

“What are you?” Roque asked as he gently set me on my feet.

“Elven half-breed,” I mumbled, and my throat went dry as my body rebelled against lying to this creature.

The Bane Shifter stood over me. His blue eyes were difficult to read. Specks of silver sparkled as his magic flared. Was he unconvinced of my answer? Would he shift into a form no Armgard could defeat?

“Calla,” Mina hissed, finally breaking the Bane Shifter’s spell over me. “Get over here.”

As I stumbled away from Roque, a lazy smile formed on his handsome face. The Bane Shifters were designed to be physically attractive. Beauty was a wonderful distraction for a hunter. Did his smile mean I was his prey?

Shuffling toward my sisters, I realized the battle was over. Mina and Enya quickly flanked me while the Bane Shifters circled us.

“You killed them all!” Mina yelled at the males. “How can we learn information from the dead?”

“I thought you had death warrants for them?” asked Delta.

The sable-haired Shifter was slightly leaner than Roque. His copper eyes glared down at Mina.

My sisters were also distracted by the strange magic in the air. We couldn’t remember the lies we told earlier. I glanced at Mina and hoped her wits remained sharper than mine.

Rather than bow to the powerful beast, Mina snarled at his fearsome face, “We wanted information from them.”

“What information?” asked the final Bane Shifter, Koda, who still circled my bevy. “Who are you?”

Following her training, Enya effortlessly lied, “We were hired by the Territories to hunt those who attacked Haven Junction. We know the Lion Shifters didn’t work alone.”

“You know how?” Delta sneered at Mina. “The attack happened less than two days ago.”

“They attacked more than the Junction,” Enya lied once again.

The two Bane Shifters stepped back and glanced at each other. Roque joined his packmates.

“They call you Calla,” Roque said to me, and my name felt like music in his voice. “What about these two?”

After a quick introduction, the six of us found ourselves in the same tense position. Roque took charge by circling my bevy.

“Who trained you? Maybe we know them.”

“Tirso,” Enya answered without hesitation, and I was impressed by how sensible my sister remained even as my mind struggled. “He is part Elven himself.”

“What’s the other part?” Delta grumbled.

“Human,” Mina replied. “We think, anyway. We were orphans.”

The Bane Shifters shared a silent conversation. Most human women impregnated by supernatural creatures did not keep their babies. Elven magic was known to corrupt entire generations. Better to sacrifice one baby than to allow a bloodline to be ruined.

Roque didn’t seem convinced, despite the logic behind our explanation. I worried his excellent sense of smell might tip him off to how our scents were too different from Elves. Roque watched us with the wary gaze of an agitated beast.

“Thank you,” I said and offered a smile. “For catching me, I mean.”

Roque’s suspicious gaze dropped instantly. I felt his magic crawling over my skin and demanding to dig deeper. As our gazes held, the energy in the air crackled.

A low growl erupted from deep in Roque’s chest. My training and fear faded. I ached to confess my secrets and offer him everything he desired. The urge was so powerful, my feet began moving me toward the Shifter.

Mina snatched my arm, breaking the spell long enough for me to step back and regain control of myself. Roque cocked an eyebrow and grunted in response to how I moved away from him.

“I have an idea,” Koda said while Roque studied me.

“We will search their supplies for clues. Afterward, we can travel to the nearby settlement to ask around. Once we finish playing detective, the six of us can enjoy a meal. During our celebratory drink, you will be free to explain what you planned to ask the Shifters if they had survived our wrath.”

Enya instantly asked, “Are you planning to secure pants for this friendly meal-and-strategy session?”

“If you insist.”

“I do,” Enya replied and walked to the dead Lion Shifters’ supply bags. “Let’s check their belongings quickly. They’ve already begun to smell.”

When I moved to join Mina and Enya in the search, Roque shook his head. Unable to disobey, I stood very still while he circled me again.

“Is it possible you’re part Witch, Calla? I sense a spell or two from you.”

“Anything is possible when you’re an orphan,” I said and then played the fool by asking, “Are you Warlocks?”

Roque stopped circling me and glanced at his packmates before throwing back his head and laughing.

“What madness is such a question?”

“You smell strange. You’re larger than the other Shifters. What animal do you shift into?” I insisted, pretending to be suspicious of him to prevent his attention from lingering on my own origin.

“We’re the Bane,” he said, and his tone held hostility.

“No,” I insisted while my sisters froze nearby. “Bane Shifters never leave Mt. Elysium. That’s the rule.”

“We make our own rules,” Roque snarled while leaning down to sniff me. “My pack is free now. We do whatever we choose.”

“Your friends were killed by these vile creatures,” I said, hoping to distract from his reservations.

Roque’s wary gaze softened. “We will bring them retribution.”

“After you’ve gotten your vengeance,” I said, fighting the urge to lean into his powerful body, “will you return to your mountain?”

“We’ll see.”

I glanced at Mina and Enya. Their gazes were overly relaxed in a way I knew was unnatural for them. I sensed they found something important in the Lion Shifters’ bags.

Mina cocked her eyebrow and said, “Calla, if you’re done flirting with the Shifter, perhaps, you could assist us with burning these bodies.”

“I’m not flirting,” I muttered with too much disdain while Roque enjoyed a laugh at my expense. “I’m tricking him into giving me information.”

Mina and Enya didn’t find my comment amusing, even if the Bane Shifters chuckled nearby. My sisters felt the magic bubbling around us. This energy wasn’t from the Bane Shifters nor the dead Lion Shifters. Something new and more powerful lingered in the air around us.

I ought to be on high alert. My death seemed foretold. Despite knowing Roque was the enemy, I wanted to erase the space between us. As soon as I landed in his arms, I found myself struggling to listen to my instincts rather than his.