Page 9 of Magic & Secrets (Twisted Magic #1)

VENGEANCE FOR MY FRIENDS should have been my only concern. Once Calla dropped into my arms, though, I couldn’t even join the battle until the Lion Shifters were chunks of flesh on the ground.

As soon as I set the warrior on the ground, I missed the feel of her.

I believed she was the female from my dreams. Rather than seeing through her eyes, I could enjoy the beauty before me.

I didn’t want to look away. If I weren’t on a mission of retribution, I would steal away this female and discover all her secrets.

Calla’s beauty distracted my mind and dulled my instincts until I felt more protective of her needs than my own. She claimed to be half-Elven. A decent explanation for her skills and odd scent. Tirso was a name I knew. Her words could be true, and I wanted to believe Calla.

Unfortunately, the female warriors were unskilled liars. My immediate assumption was that they were the newest experiment by the Murade. The human government swore they would never make another Bane Shifter. They even executed the members of the scientific team behind our creation.

That was a century ago. Two things never changed about the Murade: their intellectual curiosity and unquenchable desire to dominate. I didn’t doubt they would eventually create a new slave army. Were these warriors conjured up in the Operation Overlord lab?

An acrid scent filled the air as we burned the Lion Shifters’ remains, yet I remained lightheaded from Calla’s cinnamon aroma.

A savvy Koda had devised a reasonable plan to meet with the warriors and discuss hunting the remaining Haven Junction attackers. The females finished looking for clues and seemed ready to slip away. Taking notice of their behavior, I blocked their escape.

“If you run, we’ll track you instead of our enemy. Is that what you warriors truly want?”

Calla stared at me with the gaze of a female in heat. I approved of her attention.

The other two seemed far less pleased with me. They glanced at Delta and Koda standing nearby. Perhaps, they realized running was futile. Or they were only feigning their attempt to flee to keep us from knowing their true game plan.

“We are staying at an inn in Opal Outpost. There’s a Witch’s protection spell on the area,” Calla said, staring fearlessly into my eyes. “I’m not sure your kind can enter.”

A sly grin washed over my face. Did she think a Witch’s spell could hold back the Bane Shifters? Whether she was trained by Tirso or the Murade, she had to know better. Either way, she offered me a little grin as if her question was part of her trickery.

“We’ll be fine, warrior. You lead the way.”

The three females walked ahead of us, whispering to each other. My heightened hearing allowed me to hear words like “ritual” and “conspiracy.”

Delta and Koda flanked me. They slowed their pace. Though I didn’t want Calla out of my sight, I too lingered enough to allow distance and privacy between the groups.

“Is this the right choice?” Delta asked as his golden gaze locked onto the females ahead. “We should be hunting the Wolf Shifters.”

“We’ve been running for two days. A single evening of rest is warranted,” I told my old friend. “Besides, the Wolf Shifters are no doubt slowing after fleeing for two days. We have time to catch them.”

“I’m curious about the world,” Koda said.

“These warriors are like no Elven half-breeds I’ve encountered.

I suspect they’re lying. I also believe they might help us understand why such diverse magic folk worked together to attack Haven Junction.

We should learn if there are more vermin waiting to attack us. ”

Delta’s agitation grew, leaving his voice no more than a growl as he said, “You claimed the warriors are lying. Why trust them to tell us the truth?”

Patting his shoulder, I explained, “Someone sent these warriors to kill the Lion Shifters. Even if we can’t fully trust them, they’re more of an ally than anyone else in the world now.”

The truth was I couldn’t walk away, even if I believed the warriors were our enemy. Calla fascinated me. I needed to know why I dreamt of her. How did this young warrior have so much power over me? Why did I also seem to hold power over her? Walking away wasn’t an option until I had my answers.

Calla glanced back at me. Her green eyes shone, and a little smile curved her lips when she found my gaze on her. A lock of her golden hair had fallen loose from her braids and covered her left eye. She blew it away and smiled wider when it dropped right back in front of her face.

Mimicking her amusement, I couldn’t look away. Calla was why I remained in human form.

Nearby, Delta shifted into a panther and traveled through the sparse forest. The other two warriors turned immediately, having sensed his change.

When Calla held my gaze for too long, Mina bumped her. A silent disagreement took place between the sisters before they turned away and trekked toward the outpost.

At my side, Koda kept his gaze on the back of the warriors.

“They wield obscure magic,” he muttered.

“I suspect they are the Murade’s newest weapons.”

“If so, should we continue following them?”

“I don’t fear the Murade.”

“Neither do I, but it’s not beyond the Murade’s thinking to orchestrate the attack on Haven Junction as an excuse to get us off the mountain. What if these warriors are meant to lure us back into the government’s control?”

Tearing my gaze away from Calla, I glanced at Koda at my right side. His wide chest heaved with rage. He was lost in his bloodlust, unsated by the earlier battle.

No, no, I was misreading my old friend. The magic in the air had riled him up like it did me. I noticed the same frenzied energy from Delta before he shifted.

“If these females hope to trick us, they are fools. If the Murade orchestrated the slaughter to lure our kind back into battle, they are fortunate to face us rather than Tempe.”

“I feel great unease with their magic,” Koda confessed. “Their power reminds me of the magic behind the storm, which blinded us to the massacre. The warriors might not be sent by the Murade, but by the ones who dispatched our friends.”

“Anything is possible in a world we abandoned long ago. What I do know is we are Bane Shifters and shouldn’t fear battle of any kind.”

“I don’t think I could fight those females,” Koda admitted. “Their scent makes my mind wander.”

I frowned at his tone more than his words. Koda sounded pained by the magic’s allure. Had he also dreamt of Calla? Feeling territorial, I growled at him without thinking.

Koda tensed under my threatening snarl. He grumbled deep in his chest before shifting into his bear form. Though I expected him to join Delta in the forest, he ran past the warriors who tensed.

Calla glanced back at me. Our gazes locked. I couldn’t peel my attention away from her green eyes. The magic in the air crackled. The cinnamon scent intensified.

I narrowed my gaze, wondering if these warriors were using enchantment spells to dull our senses. Calla’s expression made me rethink my suspicions. She looked as surprised as me by the magic swirling around us.

As we entered the bustling settlement, I felt the Witch’s protection spell nip at my flesh. In my mind, I saw a vision of my body bursting into flames. The Witch’s spell no doubt worked on weaker creatures, scaring them and burning their flesh enough to send them fleeing.

Like many human outposts, this place was a mix of the old and new. The wooden buildings felt like something out of ancient times, yet security cameras were stationed at every roofline. Several humans wore blades. Others held energy rifles.

The warriors moved down the center of the road. Even the armed humans quickly made room, intimidated by the females’ weaponry and battle garb.

Their beauty also gained the attention of several human males. Without thinking, I growled full of territorial dominance and drew every gaze on the street to me. A desire to kill rushed through my veins, turning me overly hostile toward the harmless humans.

The warriors stopped and glanced back as if I were making a scene. Calla’s gaze warmed, and I spotted a smile forming on her delicate face. Again, Mina bumped her distracted sister. They began walking again while I chose to keep my distance.

The warriors stopped at the stables and stroked the three black horses tied out front. I heard them make arrangements for the animals’ overnight care. I was relieved to learn they weren’t planning to escape when my back was turned.

After the females moved to a nearby inn, I ducked inside a tailor shop.

“I need pants,” I announced to the older human man inside. “But I do not have money.”

“Of course not,” he replied. “Where would you keep it?”

Allowing a smile, I said, “True, but I still need pants.”

“What are you?”

“Does it matter?”

The human lifted his gaze to meet mine and insisted, “I don’t serve certain populations.”

“I am a Bane Shifter,” I growled, feeling judged.

The human stepped back and muttered, “No.”

“Yes.”

Curious now, the short, round human inched closer and studied me. “We thought your kind were all gone.”

“We didn’t go extinct, just retired from battle.”

The man’s curiosity shifted to concern. “Why are you here?”

“We were hunting feral Shifters near this outpost.”

“Are they dead now?”

“Of course. What use would I have for pants if I were still hunting?”

“True,” he said and went to his fabric. “If you need it quick, it won’t be fancy.”

“I need to cover up enough to avoid offending the female persuasion.”

Returning with a measuring tape, he suggested, “If you tell the women what you are, I suspect they’ll stop gawking.”

“My concern isn’t your fellow townsfolk. There are warriors in the mix.”

“What kind?”

“Half Elven.”

The tailor flashed me a strange look. “Not many halflings in these parts.”

“They aren’t from here. The feral Shifters also brought them to this place.”