Page 24 of The Last Wish (Lost Legacy #1)

CHAPTER

TWENTY-FOUR

CALLUM

S tomping on the gas, I listen to the abused engine whine and watch the sun rise. I’ve never hated these winding mountain roads more. When I round a narrow curve too quickly for the SUV to handle, I smell burning rubber. Gritting my teeth, I keep it between the lines and slow down a hair. I need to get back to the woman I love. A wreck won’t help me get there any faster.

Holy gods. I actually did it.

Calling Alina last night was a desperation move, and when she demanded we meet in person to talk, I almost said no. Gideon and I haven’t exactly been on speaking terms with her since her coven split with the enclave. Still, I had to try. We don’t have any other leads left.

When Alina and the rest of the witches moved out of their wing at the compound, I was relieved. I think most of us were. The fighting—the constant, unhinged disagreements happening behind closed doors—it was toxic as hell. But Alina seemed over the drama when we ran into her at the library. She even hinted at our shared childhood like she wanted reconciliation.

I’m not a fool. I know she hopes for more from Gideon and me. While we’ve never reciprocated her feelings, I’m not above using them to save Sheena. Alina is a strong witch. I took a chance that she could help and it’s paying off.

Alina has a talisman that could save Sheena.

Speeding up again, I grope around in the cup holder and turn my phone back on. I wince as I scroll over all the missed texts and calls from Gideon. It was a dick move to sneak out in the middle of the night, but when I felt Sheena’s fever take hold, I had to do something. There wasn’t time to argue.

I dial Gideon’s number. He picks up on the second ring.

“Are you okay?” His tone is clipped.

He has every reason to be mad, but I barrel ahead.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’ve got a lead. Tell Sheena to get ready to go.”

“Cal—”

“I don’t want to hear it right now, dude. You can yell at me later. Alina has a talisman.”

“Callum—” He tries again, and I groan in frustration.

“Gideon, are you even listening to me? This could be the answer to everything. Get Sheena dressed. I’ll be there soon.”

“Fuck, Callum—she won’t wake up.”

His frantic words penetrate my brain, and my knuckles go white as bone against the steering wheel. “What? Get Idris over there.”

“He’s here. She’s not hurting. She’s just not... alert.” Gideon sounds terrified. My heart rate spikes. “Why can’t you bring the talisman here?”

I wince. It’s the exact question I expected him to ask.

“Alina says I need to bring her.”

“Well, fuck Alina’s games,” Gideon growls. “That’s sketchy as hell.”

“She doesn’t want to come back to the compound. Which I get.” Frustration rises within me. This debate is pointless. The alternative is waiting for Sheena’s heart to stop, and that’s not an option.

“Did you even ask why she has a talisman in the first place?” Gideon demands. “If the thirsty witch wants to help so godsdamn bad, why can’t she just give it to you?”

I slam my fist into the horn. I knew he would do this; it’s why I didn’t bring him along.

“I’m aware,” I snap. “But please—since you know everything—tell me the better choice.”

“I don’t know. How about anything that doesn’t involve dragging my fated mate’s limp body all over Colorado?” He roars into the phone, and I have to take a deep breath to calm myself. I know he’s scared, but now isn’t the time for either of us to melt down. Sheena needs us.

“We’ll be right there. We’ll keep her safe, Gideon, I promise.”

For a beat, the only thing I hear on the other end of the line is his heavy breathing, then I make out another voice.

“What’s he saying?” I ask, irritated Idris is at Sheena’s side and helping her in a way I can’t right now.

“That you’re right. We’re out of options.” Gideon grits the words out, and I can just picture the stubborn look on his face. “Callum, if she tries to hurt her?—”

“We won’t let that happen. Get ready. I’m twelve minutes out.” I hang up the phone, determination sinking into my bones. If Alina double-crosses us, there will be war.

I pull into the courtyard so fast the SUV struggles to keep all four wheels on the ground. Gideon carries Sheena toward me, her body hanging limp and lifeless in his arms. A shiver rolls down my spine. If I couldn’t see her chest rising and falling, I would think she was already gone.

She promised not to leave us again. Sheena is a fighter.

I leave the key in the ignition and jump out to open the back door for Gideon. He lays Sheena across the seat gently and climbs in beside her. He doesn’t look at me. Idris claims the passenger seat without a word, and I have to resist the urge to demand he fuck right off.

Joshua and Sarah step forward, and I raise my hands with my palms out. “I know what you’re going to say. But we have to try.”

Sarah looks between her son and I before nodding slowly, her face pinched with worry. Joshua sighs, folding his arms.

“Be careful, all of you. I don’t want you boys to repeat our mistakes.” Joshua’s voice is uncharacteristically grave.

I spare him a quick nod before hopping back into the SUV and taking off. It’s time to save the woman I love. If that means every supernatural creature on the fucking planet finds out what she is and comes looking for trouble, then I’ll get my hands bloody. It’s that simple.

“How is she?” I ask, glancing in the rearview mirror.

“She’s still here.” Gideon’s voice is raspy and tired.

“There’s no pain,” Idris says.

Hearing his cool tone reminds me the fae just climbed into my SUV with no invitation. I snap my head around to look at him. “Why the fuck are you here?”

“I’m curious to know if you behave in this hostile way towards everyone you come into contact with,” Idris says, his lips curving into a tight smirk. “Or is it a treat reserved for those trying to help you?”

I tighten my hands around the wheel to resist the urge to smack him. “I save it for people who want to poach my girl,” I spit back.

“You raise an interesting point,” Idris says. “But if someone can be poached, were they ever really yours to begin with?”

The bastard doesn’t even bother denying he wants her. He’s so smug, I want to pull over and kick his ass.

The only thing that stops me is a pitiful moan from the back seat. I twist my head to look at Sheena, but Idris reacts even quicker, his arm already outstretched and reaching for her. Gideon moves Sheena’s head into the fae’s palm, no questions asked. Their actions are familiar and practiced.

I focus back on the road as Idris sighs and slumps back against the passenger seat.

“Idris is here to keep Sheena pain free and back us up if things turn to shit. We’re thankful for his help,” Gideon grits the words out, and I nod reluctantly. “No fighting. No arguing. She’s our only priority.”

Dammit, he’s right. I can’t believe I needed the reminder.

“If Alina tries anything, one of us needs to get Sheena out of there,” I say.

“It should be Idris,” Gideon grunts. “Before you argue, he can glamour her. That’s the best chance she has. You and I will be ready to fight.”

I can’t argue with his logic. Out of the corner of my eye, I assess Idris. He’s as serious as I’ve ever seen him. Good. I meet Gideon’s eyes in the rearview mirror and nod.

Together, we work out a loose plan for when we arrive. Gideon and Idris switch seats, and once that’s done, we drive in tense silence. The only sounds interrupting the stillness are Sheena’s labored breaths and the gentle hum of the engine.

When I pull up in front of the address Alina sent, I’m surprised. Far from the gaudy monstrosity I expected, it looks like any normal house you’d find on an average street in a middle-class suburb. There are white picket fences, carefully manicured lawns, and lots of Hondas and Nissans parked in driveways. There’s absolutely nothing that stands out as supernatural.

I double-check the address of the two-story brick house just in case. It’s the right one, so I take a deep breath and put the SUV in park. Gideon is so tense, I can feel heat radiating off of his body. With one final look at Idris and Sheena in the back seat, we get out.

As Gideon and I approach the porch steps, our hands brush. The brief contact makes me want to stop and wrap my arms around him, but I hold myself back. As if he can sense my conflict, Gideon throws his arm over my shoulder and looks at me.

“You did the right thing,” he admits quietly. “Risk or not, we had to try.”

His words unravel a horrible knot inside me and my shoulders sag with relief. I hated being at odds even for a minute. We’ve always been a team, and it feels right to be in sync again.

Hearts racing, Gideon and I climb the steps together.

GIDEON

My adrenaline rockets into overdrive and every hair on my body stands on end when Cal knocks on the door. I don’t like this shit. My animal fucking hates it. He thinks we’re going into battle and wants to shift. It’s getting harder by the second to convince him this situation calls for the man, not the lion.

The door opens with a high-pitched creak. My left arm trembles. I grip it hard to stop the shift. Alina stares up at us, a fake smile glued to her face.

I breathe deeply through my nose to check for any other scents. When nothing besides Alina’s overwhelming perfume hits me, I release my arm but keep my guard up. If I learned anything growing up around a coven, it’s that witches are unpredictable. The second you think you’ve got one figured out, they turn around and do the opposite of what you think.

“It’s good to see you again, Gideon,” Alina chirps. Her smile frays around the edges as she looks at me, but I can’t bring myself to give a damn. “Where’s your djinn?”

She talks about Sheena like she’s a designer pet. I bite my tongue to hold back my instinctual need to put Alina in her place. If she’s truly willing to help, I can’t risk pissing her off before we get what we need.

“She’s here,” Callum says. He turns and looks over his shoulder—the signal we told Idris to watch for.

Where the SUV looked empty before, the fae suddenly appears. He gets out, cradling Sheena in his arms with a blank look on his face.

“Ah, boys,” Alina purrs and claps her hands with delight. “I see you’re thanking me for my gesture of friendship with some new tricks.”

Instead of being offended by the glamour, she seems pleased to learn we hid things from her.

Fucking witches.

Silently, Idris climbs the stairs, carefully supporting Sheena’s head on his shoulder. Alina ignores him completely, turning her full attention to my mate.

“You weren’t kidding. She doesn’t seem well at all.” She clicks her tongue, but the sympathy is as fake as her smile. “Perhaps I can do something about that.”

Alina reaches for Sheena. Callum and I step together to block her path. She laughs, the sound grating and way too fucking loud given the circumstances.

“She really is your djinn after all then. How curious that you would protect her from an old friend.” Alina pouts, but I’m not falling for her antics. Neither is Cal.

“I followed your instructions. She’s here. You’ve seen her,” Callum snaps. “Now where’s the talisman?”

He sounds dangerous, but Alina just rolls her eyes and pulls a ring from her pocket. I don’t have a clue if it’s actually what Sheena needs to harness her power, but it looks old. When Callum reaches out to take it, Alina snatches her hand back.

“Not so fast, darling. I didn’t ask to see her. I asked to meet her.” Alina tuts, tapping the ring against her chin. “We can hardly meet if she’s not even awake to say ‘hi.’”

I swallow my growl, already sick to death of Alina’s games. We could try to overpower her and take it, but only the gods know the hell the witches would rain down on us if they thought we were stealing from the coven. Playing along is still the best choice.

Even knowing that, it takes me two tries to get my body to obey my brain and step aside. As the witch advances, I block her with my hand and speak for the first time. “If you hurt her, Alina, I won’t rest until you’re dead.”

I lock eyes with her, and she finally loses her fake smile.

“Always so rude,” Alina huffs at me. “Threat received, Gideon.” Pivoting and walking into the house, she tosses her hair over her shoulder. “At least bring her inside so we’re not causing a spectacle for every bored human in the neighborhood.”

One by one, we follow her in. The door swings shut by itself.

When Alina reaches for Sheena again, I allow it, ignoring every muscle in my body that demands I stop her. The witch places one hand against Sheena’s temple and the other against her heart. I’ve seen Alina use magic before, but when her fingers begin to glow a hazy green color, I stiffen. Watching anyone cast so close to where the mate bond lives feels wrong.

Color returns to Sheena’s chalky cheeks and her breathing becomes less ragged. Her beautiful green eyes flutter open, and Alina steps back, chest heaving and shoulders slumped. Whatever she did took effort.

Sheena blinks as she looks around and takes in the unfamiliar house, the stranger, and the tense looks on all of our faces. When she realizes Idris is holding her, she seems even more flustered.

“So you’re the last djinn,” Alina says in a dry tone.

“I’m Sheena,” she says, tapping on Idris’ neck until he puts her down. As soon as her feet hit the ground, he shifts to hover behind her like a silent watchdog.

“I’m Alina, the witch that just wrapped you in a magical bandage and bought you some time.” She pats her pocket. “But I think I have something you’ve been looking for.”

Alina pulls the ring out. When I first saw it on the porch, it looked like the witch found it buried underground using some weirdo’s metal detector. Now, it’s glowing.

“Is that a talisman?” Sheena’s eyes light up as she pieces everything together.

“It would certainly seem so,” Alina says with a smirk. “My coven has had this ring for hundreds of years. The old ones say it once belonged to a powerful djinn.”

Sheena’s eyes flash purple when she looks at the talisman. It takes some effort for her to tear her focus away from it and meet Alina’s eyes instead.

“And you’re just willing to give it to me?” Sheena studies the witch with suspicion, and my chest swells with pride. “Why would you do that?”

“Consider it a gesture of friendship,” Alina says with a tinkling laugh. “Your boys and I go way back. It’s the least I could do.”

She implies a familiarity that neither of us had with her. When Sheena doesn’t give her the reaction she’s looking for, an angry glint appears in Alina’s eyes. Warning bells go off in my head.

We all hold our breath when the witch offers the ring to Sheena. The closer her fingers come, the more the thing glows. It’s so bright I have to shield my eyes.

Before Sheena makes contact, her feet leave the ground and her hair begins to float. It’s exactly like the time I activated her powers in the kitchen—a moment so pivotal to our relationship that I don’t think I could forget it if I tried. I know without looking that her features have sharpened to match her dazzling purple eyes.

Sheena’s fingers close around the ring.

A blinding light shoots out in all directions. Dark spots cloud my vision.

I hear a muted apology, then a crackling sound. I reach for Sheena, but it’s already too late. They’re gone.

My heart rips in two.