Page 20 of The Last Wish (Lost Legacy #1)

CHAPTER

TWENTY

IDRIS

T he southern enclave just called in and reported a hunter attack in their territory. More than a dozen vampires killed by psychotic zealots during a cowardly ambush. Slaughtered in cold blood.

I close my eyes and grit my teeth. It’s a terrible death for any supernatural.

The enclaves don’t work together often, but we do share information on known hunter movements—the common enemy that continues to threaten our existence.

This time is different.

These victims weren’t supernaturals in the wrong place at the wrong time. This was a coordinated extermination of a hidden halfway house. From what I’ve been told, it was for newly turned vampires worried about taming their thirst. They were there to learn how to avoid hurting anyone. Now, they’re dead.

These kinds of facilities are becoming more common as we assimilate further into this world, but all it takes to ruin the progress and stoke up hatred is bloodthirsty and brainwashed humans. This cult may think they’re protecting their kind, but all they’re actually doing is breeding fear and promoting an endless cycle of violence.

Once a path is painted with blood, it can’t be easily reversed.

I came to this realm as a refugee ten long years ago with nothing but the sword on my back. I limped through that portal, bloodied, beaten, and so tired of battle I could not fathom facing another fight. To my complete and utter shock, many of the folk followed me. Hungry for stability, they sacrificed near immortality in a realm ravaged by war for a chance at peace with me here.

I cannot fail them. Hatred is the harbinger of eternal battle lines, and war is hell. I won’t let my people be sucked into another never-ending conflict.

Grabbing my notebook from the desk, I leave the constant banging of the construction behind. My desire to write things down in my own hand is a habit from another time. I know it dates me, but some things I refuse to leave behind.

While it is possible to walk from my wing of the compound to the shifter quarters and remain completely indoors for the duration, it is quicker to go directly through the central courtyard. It also gives me just a few blessed extra minutes away from the modern, artificial lights.

While I’m cutting across the open space, I see the djinn walking—no, stumbling—away from the training ground. She leans heavily on the tall shifter. My eyes narrow as I track their progress. Those fools don’t have what it takes to keep her safe.

With their slow progress, delayed further by their incessantly childish levity, I catch up to the group quickly. All three males stare at me with suspicion.

“Hello, Idris.” Sheena greets me with a tired smile on her face.

“Little djinn.” I casually take her measure, noticing her normally vibrant green eyes are dull and glassy. “Working on your mental walls?” She nods, pride creeping into her expression. “I presume it went better than last time.”

My comment is innocent enough, but I’m immediately the target of three glares and a sheepish look from Sheena.

“Much better this time,” she says, standing a little straighter. “What brings you here?”

“There’s been a hunter attack.” I let my anger bleed into my tone. At everyone’s concerned look, I clarify, “Not here. In the southern enclave’s territory.”

“Dimitri is out, but dad is here,” Gideon offers. I already know that, but I congratulate myself on my self-control when I don’t immediately tell him so.

“Lunch first. Work later,” the nightmare demon complains, lurching into Gideon’s unoccupied side. “Dude, you’re huge. Give a guy a lift, would you?”

Gideon shoves the blonde away. “Knock it off, Ciprian.”

“If you’re too tired from all the humping, consider being on the bottom for a change.” The nightmare sniffs dramatically.

“He lets me be on top,” Sheena says, freezing when everyone stops to look at her. A blush spreads across her cheeks and neck like wildfire. “Don’t look at me like that.”

She tugs free from Gideon’s arms and opens the door herself, strutting into the shifter wing with her head held high.

“Of course he does. He’s not a fucking idiot,” the incubus mutters, eyes heated as he watches her disappear down the hall.

For the first time since we met, I find myself in complete agreement with Callum.

Somehow I get conned into joining their luncheon, which is night and day different from the last meal we shared. The kitchen table is cluttered with bread, deli meats, and assorted condiments. There are elbows flying, discordant chatter, and an absence of any clearly delineated organizational structure.

Within seconds, I’m violently overwhelmed. Shame floods my chest when I realize I’m not even sure how to construct a sandwich.

I’m trying to figure out a way to excuse myself without offending Sarah or Joshua when Sheena slides an occupied plate in front of me. She cuts the sandwich in half, smiling a bit when I stare. “Give that one a try,” she encourages me.

I bite into her creation, pleasantly surprised to find it’s not as bad as I expected. Sheena turns back to the chaos in front of her and starts assembling another sandwich. I watch, intrigued, as she grapples with the nightmare over the mustard and laughs at a joke Gideon makes. Even pale with exhaustion, she’s radiant.

When she finishes making her own sandwich, I take the knife from her hand. She looks at me in confusion, but I simply incline my head, cutting through the bread and meat carefully just the way she did for me. When I pull back, I’m rewarded with a conspiratorial smile as she swipes a bag of chips from the melee. She tucks them between our arms and out of anyone else’s reach.

“How are you so comfortable with...” I struggle for the right words, hesitant to offend her with an unfair characterization, and eventually settle for gesturing with a sweep of my hand to the mayhem.

“Foster kid.” Sheena grimaces. “You learn how to get your elbows out pretty quickly in the system or sometimes you don’t eat.” She looks fondly at the people stuffing their faces around the table. “This is different, but the skills are transferrable.”

She pops a chip into her mouth, but I can’t keep my mouth closed. “It’s not like this in my realm.” I’m not sure what possessed me to say it. Sheena looks over at me with curiosity.

“I guess it’s more formal.” She prods gently while also providing me with an easy out if I choose to drop the conversation.

“Yes, that’s true, I suppose. There are a lot of ceremonial customs that accompany most meals, even among family.” I don’t tell her about testing everything for poison or the constant assassination attempts. “Dining in the fae realm... Let’s just say, this warmth is absent.”

She nods at me, her smile falling. I curse myself for removing it.

“I haven’t experienced much warmth in my life either.” She looks around at the crowded table where multiple conversations are peppered with boisterous laughter. “Maybe this is a new beginning for us both.” Her voice is soft, like she’s afraid if she says it too loud, she’ll spoil it somehow.

Perhaps she is right.

I grab a handful of the salty chips from the bag in between us and put them on my plate. We continue the meal until most of the assorted shifters who live in the compound have left the table and the noise reaches a more manageable decibel.

“Gideon tells me the hunters hit the southern enclave,” Joshua says, his face grim as he turns to address me.

I wipe my mouth and take a sip of water, then pass on all the information from the earlier report, stopping only when someone asks me a question. Sheena listens in silence, her face crumpling as I give more details.

“They burned them all alive? Why?” She asks.

“The hunters are a very driven group,” Joshua begins, tactful as always, although his jaw is clenched.

“It’s a fucking cult,” Gideon growls.

Joshua doesn’t contradict him, and I pick up the explanation.

“Hunters have been around for hundreds of years, long before the enclaves formed. They’re incredibly secretive, but from what we can tell, they raise each new generation to track down and kill supernaturals.”

“This is a deviation from their usual pattern,” Callum points out, and I’m impressed to see he picked up on that so quickly. “The leaders in the south keep their shit close to the belt. Very few people would have known about that house, right? So how the hell did the hunters find out about it?”

No one has an answer for him, a fact that’s deeply unsettling.

“Could they have a mole?” Sheena asks, and we all weigh her words.

“It’s a good idea, but I don’t see it working,” Sarah says, her lips pursed as she passes around a plate of cookies. “The hunters are zealots. I don’t think they would partner with a supernatural willingly, even for a strategic advantage.”

Nods follow her assessment, but Sheena’s suggestion sinks into my brain and stays there. Hunters could become a real threat if they are indeed updating their tactics. Moreover, we have an even bigger problem on our hands if someone in our community is choosing to sell out our most vulnerable members.

As everyone finishes their meal and pushes back from the table, I catch Sheena’s arm and press a kiss to the delicate skin of her wrist.

“Thank you for the sandwich, little djinn.”

I leave the room without another word, enjoying her stunned expression and the waves of aggression coming off of her demon and shifter.

CALLUM

“But he kissed you,” Gideon grumbles as he prowls around the bedroom after lunch.

“On the wrist,” Sheena insists from the bed, waving her arm for emphasis. “He’s kind of old fashioned. I bet it was just some weird fae custom.”

Gideon scoffs. “Yeah, I’m sure it was just some weird fae custom... to get in your pants.”

I’m inclined to agree with him, but I’m also not stupid enough to involve myself in a losing argument. From my spot on the love seat, I pretend to scroll on my phone and stay out of it.

Sheena groans and massages her temples. “You’re being ridiculous.”

“Or you’re being oblivious.” Gideon digs his heels in. “He definitely wants to fuck you. Why did you make him a sandwich in the first place? He’s a grown ass man.”

“Because I’m not an asshole.” Sheena’s voice is tight. “He was obviously overwhelmed, and I know what that feels like, so I made him a sandwich. It’s not a big deal. You need to let it go.”

Gideon should listen to her, but I’m starting to think he can’t. The animal inside him sensed competition at lunch. With the bond still incomplete, the instinct to claim her is probably eating him alive.

“I don’t want to let it go,” he roars. “We found you first, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let him snatch you up.”

I lift my eyes from my phone, trying to figure out a way to stop him before he takes this too far.

“Are you telling me you called dibs?” Sheena’s voice is too quiet.

“You’re my fated mate,” Gideon says, crossing his arms belligerently. “The gods called dibs for me.”

“Then why are you being so insecure?”

Gideon deflates, his shoulders sinking.

“Because I am insecure,” he admits, all his anger gone.

Sheena’s pinched face softens, and she reaches out to him. Gideon climbs into the bed, scooping her into his arms.

“You shouldn’t be,” she reassures him, her voice thick with exhaustion. “You’re smart, kind, and sexy, and mate bond or not, you’re mine. You shouldn’t give a damn if some guy kisses my wrist.”

Gideon peppers her arms with kisses, starting at her wrists and traveling up until he plants his lips on hers. She melts into the touch, pulling back only to suck in a deep breath.

“How long will you be at the library?” Sheena looks at me as she asks the question, and I give up pretending I’m not paying attention.

“We’ll be back tonight,” I respond. “I convinced the faculty to give us an alumni pass without admitting why we needed it.”

Walking up to them both, I drop a kiss to her soft lips, ignoring how close my best friend is to the action.

“So I’ll see you when I wake up?”

Sheena yawns. Close up, I can tell she’s barely able to keep her eyes open. “Yeah, sweetheart. Get some rest. We’ll be back before you know it,” I say, speaking softly.

After her eyelids drift closed, I drag Gideon out of the compound, urgency building in my chest.

“Dude, you’re way too eager to be holed up in that fucking library,” he groans as we climb into the SUV.

I throw the car in reverse. “I’m not too eager. She’s too tired.”

“What do you mean?” Gideon snaps his seatbelt into place, worry in his voice.

“I mean, she worked hard this morning, but she shouldn’t be that tired. She needs a talisman, and she needs it fast.”

Silence settles over us, and we’re lost in our own thoughts for the rest of the drive.

Neither of us is prepared to face the possibility that we could fail.

I resist a shudder as we pass through the school wards. Being back on this campus feels risky. The feeling of witch magic on my skin has always made me itchy. It was unpleasant when we attended class here, and I still hate it.

“I don’t really want to come here every day,” I admit with a sigh, easing into a designated visitor parking spot. “I don’t like leaving her at the compound.”

“What if we didn’t?” Gideon asks.

“Dude, have you not been listening? We need answers,” I say, thrumming my fingers on the steering wheel.

Then I clock the calculated, devious look in his eyes and groan internally. Every time I see this expression, I end up having to clean up a mess later.

“What are you planning?” I ask, narrowing my eyes.

“Maybe we check the books out instead of coming back every day.”

“You mean steal them?”

I glance around us just in case some wizened old hag from the faculty has materialized in the back seat. Since it’s summer break, we’re one of only a handful of cars in the parking lot, but this campus is never fully empty. Too many people have nowhere else to go.

“No, I mean borrow them.” Gideon shrugs. “To be returned at a time more convenient to us.”

I consider the idea, and it’s actually not bad. We pulled tons of shit like this while we went to school here, but we’re upstanding members of the community these days. I doubt they’ll suspect us of a heist now.

“We’ll have to stay a few hours. Do some bullshit research to make us less suspicious.”

“I’m very interested in the healing property of herbs,” Gideon drones. His voice is so dry and serious I choke on my laugh.

Now with a rough plan, we head to the library. I’m buzzing with nerves. I can feel Gideon’s energy bouncing around too, although the look on his face is so bland it’s impossible to tell.

The doors open automatically, then the floor shifts with a groan and deposits us in front of the reception desk. I feel a little nauseous from the sudden movement, but this school was constructed with more magic than actual building materials. Perfect for keeping tabs on unruly students.

“They told me you two were coming back.” The librarian’s tone is as dull as some of these dusty old tomes. “I prayed to the goddess it was a lie.”

Damn, these witches have long memories.

I remember her vaguely. She’s part of that boring coven that focuses on knowledge over everything else. Even though she’s a low level witch, she’ll still be able to notice and raise the alarm if I try to use my influence on her.

“I want to learn about plants,” Gideon speaks before I can say a word, leaning over the desk and smiling down at the old woman. “Healing didn’t interest me while I went to school here, but now I really want to know how to use herbs.” He beams at her, and I watch in amazement as her shriveled heart grows three sizes.

“A worthy and expansive field of study, Mr. Therion. What remedies are you interested in?” She pulls a pencil from her hair, poised to take notes on his answer. I stare at the tight gray bun suspiciously. It’s perched on top of her head like a third eye, and I wonder what else she has hiding in there.

Gideon freezes. My heart pounds faster and faster as the silence stretches. Oh shit, we didn’t talk through our plan this far. I’m about to jump in and say gods know what when he finally speaks, saving me from a coronary.

“Sunburn, ant bites, and cholera,” he says, rattling off the maladies with purpose. All I can do is try not to gape.

If the librarian thinks his interests are weird, she makes no mention of it, scribbling at length on a piece of paper she conjures from thin air. After an impatient gesture for us to follow, she leads us to a table around the corner, and then bustles off to collect the books.

As soon as she’s out of earshot, I turn to Gideon and snort. “Cholera? Where the fuck did that come from? Isn’t there a vaccine for that already?”

Gideon shrugs. He’s so pleased with his improvisation that the dimples in his cheeks pop out of his smiling face.

“How the hell should I know? That’s why I need these books.” His voice cuts off as the librarian returns and drops a massive stack in front of us.

“These are on sunburn. I’ll be back with the others soon.”

She’s quick for her age, and within minutes, we’re completely buried in books. Once the librarian shuffles back to her desk, Gideon cracks one open with a grimace, then sneezes violently at the dust that blows up in his face.

At his long-suffering nod, I sneak away from the table and head to the creature section. It’s alphabetized by species—thank the gods—so I skim past the entire shelf on demons, only to find myself immediately in another crowded section on elves.

Am I missing something? The djinn were hunted down, but surely they weren’t erased from our history all together.

I retrace my steps, crouching to look closer at the spot where the books on demons end and the elf section begins. Tucked between two thick tomes, I spot a small, ancient-looking purple book with gold hinges and script on the spine. Looking closer, I make out the word ‘djinn’ and excitement builds in my chest. It’s barely bigger than my hand and only about half an inch thick, but it’s a start. I tug the book free and tuck it into my waistband.

I check the supernatural history and magical artifacts sections and even skim the fiction aisle. But this purple book appears to be the only one that mentions djinn in this entire monstrosity of a library. After hours of digging without any more luck, I head back to Gideon’s table feeling deflated. His eyes are glazed over, but he’s still diligently reading the medical books. I can’t help but chuckle at him.

I put a hand on his shoulder and gesture to the exit. With a relieved sigh, he jumps up. We approach the desk to let the librarian know we’re leaving, but she’s busy talking to another visitor. Unfortunately, the woman is very familiar to me.

“Gideon and Callum in the library. Am I hallucinating?” She coos, her voice syrupy and sweet.

“Hey, Alina.” I force a smile and offer her a stiff, awkward side hug.

Not good. Not good.

“How’s life at the enclave?” There’s a flash of something in Alina’s eyes when she asks, but it’s gone too quickly for me to get a good read.

“Everything is great. How have you been?” I ask.

“Fabulous, of course. I was in the neighborhood gathering some plants for the solstice celebration and thought I would drop by to tell Gretchen hello.” She nods at the older witch, who’s stacking books and pretending not to listen in. “Imagine my surprise when I run into two old friends. It must be a blessing from the mother.”

Alina smiles. There’s no bitterness on her face, but she always was a good actress.

“It’s great to see you too,” I say, trying to keep this short. I don’t have any interest in getting into a conversation about her deity or anything else for that matter.

We make small talk for a few minutes while Gideon shuffles back and forth awkwardly. Glancing deliberately at my watch, I toss a disappointed look her way.

“Listen, Alina, I’d love to catch up more, but we’ve got to get going.” I frown like I’m sad we have to go, but I can’t tell if she buys it.

After another limp side hug, we take off. Gideon and I are halfway to the door when she speaks again.

“Remember, if you two need anything, I’m just a phone call away.”

I shoot her a smile over my shoulder, but I don’t respond. As soon as we’re outside, I feel in my waistband, relieved to find the book exactly as I left it.

“That was fucking weird,” Gideon whispers, and I shush him.

“Wait until we’re in the car. This whole place has ears.”

I don’t relax fully until we’re in the SUV, past the wards, and ten miles down the road.

“Fucking Alina. In the godsdamn library. Happy to see us.” Gideon snorts. “I call bullshit.”

“Yeah, it’s strange,” I admit, working the leather of the steering wheel between my hands. “Asking about the enclave was also weird.”

“She’s always fishing for something, but there’s nothing we can do about that.” Gideon brushes some dust from his leg. “Let me see the book you found.”

I dig it out and pass it over.

“I haven’t opened it yet. Is there a table of contents or something?” I ask, but a grunt is the only answer I get. “What?” I snap, glancing over at him before focusing back on the road. “Speak, man. I’m driving. I can’t read your mind.”

“I can’t open it.” Gideon sounds confused, so I take my eyes off the road again and see he’s tugging on the cover with no success.

“Let me try then.”

He hands the book back, but I have no luck either.

“Fucking magic,” I mutter. “Let’s just hope it opens for Sheena.”

“It better, or I’m going to pry it open with a crowbar.”

Gideon sighs and rubs his chest. His worry is making the air in the car feel hot and heavy. Cracking my window, I suck in a breath and ignore the anxiety eating at me.

SHEENA

I blink awake to a hushed argument. The sun is fading, casting eerie, elongated shadows across the room, and it’s making the usually cozy space look a little on the spooky side. In my half lucid state, the shadows look like evil spirits advancing toward me. I shiver, tucking the covers tighter around my neck and focusing harder on the conversation happening at the end of the bed.

“She needs more rest.”

“But she’s been napping for hours. I want to see if she can open it.”

Gideon’s husky baritone voice shushes Callum. “She can always try it tomorrow,” he insists quietly.

“She could also try it now,” I say, yawning and pushing myself into a sitting position. It feels like I just fell asleep five minutes ago .

Callum comes to my side of the bed, dropping a kiss to my forehead and scooting in beside me. Gideon shuffles in on my other side. He hands me a small purple book, weathered with age.

“I didn’t realize they would let you bring books home. That’s great,” I say. When neither of them responds, I look from side to side and sigh. “You stole it, didn’t you?”

“Absolutely not. We borrowed it, which is how libraries are supposed to work,” Callum assures me, his lips twitching as he fights a smirk. “Honestly, sweetheart, the gatekeeping of knowledge in the supernatural community is really fucking egregious. We’re doing them a favor by forcing them into this millennium.”

“I see.” I shake my head, looking over at Gideon. “Do you feel the same way about the gatekeeping of knowledge?”

Gideon turns to me, a mischievous spark in his eyes. “I don’t give a shit about that and I won’t pretend I do.” He kisses my cheek. “I just didn’t want to leave you to go back there every day.”

Just like that, my heart swells. Gideon never makes me doubt his affection. It’s comforting like a warm blanket on a winter day or a deep breath in a field of wildflowers. I kiss him because it’s all I can think about. Gideon meets my lips eagerly, and the kiss morphs from sweet to hot quicker than either of us intended.

“I can’t believe I’m about to say this.” Callum groans. “You both look very sexy, but can you make out later? I really want to know what’s in that book.” It’s the whiniest I’ve ever heard him sound.

I break away from Gideon with a laugh. “If you wanted to know so badly, why didn’t you read it in the car?”

“Because we couldn’t.”

“Why? Is it in some other language? Because if so, I hate to break it to you, but I’m not going to be able to understand it either.”

“Maybe. I don’t actually know. It’s stuck,” Callum says.

“What do you mean? How can a book be stuck?” I ask. It’s not exactly complicated technology.

“It won’t open for us,” Gideon explains.

“I think it’s magically sealed to only open for a djinn.” Callum points at the book in my lap, his excitement buzzing when I pick it up again.

Sliding my thumb under the book’s clasp, I try to flip it open. Nothing happens. I try again, bracing the spine on the bed and using both hands to pull. Still nothing.

“Shit.” Callum sags beside me, and a pit settles low in my stomach.

“It’s okay.” I try for a reassuring smile. “Where are the other books? Surely they don’t all have some super secret lock.”

“That was it,” Callum grumbles, throwing himself back on the bed. “It’s literally the only book I could find mentioning djinn in the entire library.”

The pit in my stomach starts rolling around. I didn’t expect to encounter another dead end so soon. This book might be our only lead. If that’s true... There is another option.

“What if you say the words I told you never to say to unlock it?” I suggest, bracing myself for their reactions.

“Absolutely fucking not.”

“Hell no, you know what happened last time.”

They both glare at me like I’m insane.

“It was just a suggestion.” I sigh. “Do you have any better ideas?”

“Maybe put it up to your eyes when they’re glowing purple,” Gideon says. “I volunteer to get them going right now so we can test it out.” He runs his hand up my inner thigh with a wink. I chuckle and tuck myself into his side.

“Do you really think this ancient thing has biometric scanning that will only work when I’m horny?” I flip the book around dramatically, eying it from every angle. “Oddly enough, I don’t see any cameras.”

“Smartass. You’re still thinking like a human. All I’m saying is magic is wild and intuitive.” Gideon strokes a piece of my hair between his fingers. “I think you have to convince the book it’s safe to open for you.”

Wonderful. My imposter syndrome is so bad even the book doesn’t think I belong.

“I feel like you’re telling me to befriend an inanimate object when I’m just now learning to do that with real people,” I complain.

“You’ll get it in no time with that attitude.”

Gideon bumps his shoulder into mine, sending me rocking into Callum. My demon returns the gesture, and the guys keep it up until I’m jostling back and forth between them like the pendulum on a grandfather clock. Their teasing releases some of my tension, and soon I’m giggling so hard I can barely breathe.

“Look, don’t stress about it now,” Callum reassures me. “We’ll figure out how to get it open. I promise.”