Page 181 of The Wolves of Forest Grove

HARPER

The thief stumbled to his feet before scurrying away like a rat, leaving the jewelry behind.

But he didn’t matter anymore. And neither did the few hundred dollars’ worth of silver and gems glinting in the sunlight that had come rushing back to life. I didn’t dare make a move to retrieve any of it with their eyes boring holes into my face.

The taller of the two men turned his wrist to face me. The golden tattoo shimmered in the warm morning light. A triangle with two crossed arrows. My breath hitched, and I worked to quell the tremble in my knees.

Arcane Authorities.

Bad luck seemed to be as irrevocably attached to me as my own shadow, but this really took the cake. Forget the cake, this took the whole damn party. Was there any way they hadn’t seen what I did?

The shorter one with the tight jaw and thick brows met my wide-eyed stare. He tilted his head toward a shaded alley before the two of them stepped out of the light and into the shadows, waiting for me to follow them.

Nope. They definitely saw.

I could run, but chances were I wouldn’t get far before they caught me. And then what? Running would only get me into more trouble.

No, running wasn’t an option. I sighed and stuffed my hands into the pockets of my shorts. Leo and Lara were right. It was only a matter of time before my magic got me into trouble, but I’d make sure they didn’t go down with me.

The traffic started to move again once I’d crossed the street. The people had gone back to their shopping and gossiping, avoiding the split in the pavement. The split that I’d caused.

They’d fix it. Fill it in. It would be like it never happened for them.

I had a feeling I wouldn’t be so lucky. I steeled myself before stepping into the alley, a million thoughts tripping and swirling through my mind.

I’m too young to be sent to Kalzir Prison. And besides, that place was reserved for murderers and dark witches, not for people who accidently cleaved the earth in two… right?

It was true being underage would save me from Kalzir, but it would be Leo and Lara who were punished for my unsupervised use of magic. My stomach rebelled at the idea, twisting uncomfortably until I thought I would lose my breakfast.

“We haven’t got all day,” a deep accented voice rang out from the alley. I hurriedly stepped inside, feeling the kiss of energy against my skin as a ward snapped into place behind me, effectively sealing us off from the curious eyes of the outside world.

I jumped at the sensation, turning in time to see the taller of the two flicking his finger as he finished drawing a binding sigil in midair, the swirling, looping pattern glowing a bright orange.

He shoved his palm against it and the sigil expanded and then vanished, settling over me like a wave of concrete.

My hands flew behind my back, my fingers clasping of their own accord. The spell was even stronger than the time I accidentally crazy-glued my hands together. I couldn’t move them at all. There was no sense in struggling and yet I couldn’t help trying.

“Wait, please!” I said, my voice wavering. “I can explain—”

“And you will,” said the one with the thick brows. “But it isn’t us you’ll need to do your explaining to.”

Neither moved to take hold of me, but instead maintained their distance at about ten paces away at the dead-end of a brick wall. The taller one swallowed, his gaze darting from me back to his partner. He seemed… afraid? Of what?

Surely, they weren’t afraid of me?

I mean, my magic hadn’t ever caused a minor earthquake before.

I mostly did simple spells, but even I had to admit they never turned out how I intended.

Like the time I tried to use magic to extinguish a candle and put out every fire at the campground instead.

Or when I made potions that didn’t work exactly like they were expected to.

“Where are your parents?” the shorter one asked.

I looked away, my heart thumping wildly in my chest. An image of my guardians flashed in my mind. Of their disappointed faces when they were told what happened. Of them being escorted to that horrible place, their kindness being ripped apart by the monsters that inhabited the prison.

Lie, my subconscious screamed.

“I don’t have any parents,” I told them, weaving honesty into the lie. “They’re dead.”

Thick Brows scowled. “So, you’re all alone, then?”

I bit the inside of my cheek and nodded. My eyes burned.

They’d be so worried when they saw I was gone. Would I be able to return to them? I didn’t know what happened to underage witches with no parents or guardians. But I could not, under any circumstances, bring the authorities back to our booth.

Selling potions to humans was illegal, and though I had no problem with it—especially since they were weakened versions of the real thing—the Arcane Council would see it a little differently. If the Arcane Authorities saw their booth, it would earn my guardians a one-way ticket to Kalzir.

My hands came apart and I looked up to find Tall Guy frowning, a gleam of pity in his eyes. “You won’t give us any trouble, will you?” he asked.

I shook my head. “I swear I didn’t mean to—”

“Didn’t mean to?” Thick Brows interrupted. “That was strong magic. Not just anyone could’ve pulled that off.”

“What’s your name?” the other one asked, inching closer, looking more at ease than he did before.

My skin bristled. “Harper. Just Harper.”

“Well, ‘Just Harper,’ I’m afraid your fate is now in the hands of the Arcane Council.”

My blood chilled and the spark of magic reignited in my blood.

“Try to stay calm,” the taller one added. “Everything will be fine.”

Why did I get the feeling he was lying to my face? How could things possibly be fine when the Council was in charge of my fate? Everyone knew how these situations ended.

I didn’t dare object, though. Afraid I’d burst into tears or wind up begging for freedom I knew they wouldn’t give me. Tall Guy was right; I had to stay calm. Bad things happened when I wasn’t calm. I didn’t want to add any more to the list of crimes I’d already committed.

And to think, it wasn’t even noon.

Must be some sort of record.

Thick Brows set to work drawing out a sigil on the brick wall behind them. I was still crap at them, but I recognized the symbol for travel, and the one for creating a doorway interwoven with others I didn’t recognize. He was opening a portal.

“Come,” he said, and the brick disintegrated before my eyes to reveal a long hallway with a parquet floor and golden sconces that cast a rich umber light on the mahogany wood paneling. It looked like the inside of a castle.

My stomach dropped.

A loud meow set my hair standing on edge, and I flinched. Relief flooded through me at the sight of the orange tabby jumping down from the rooftop above onto a trash bin against the wall.

“Your familiar?” Thick Brows asked.

I shook my head as Gato, Leo’s familiar, pounced down to rub himself against my legs. “No, he isn’t mine.”

“Then hurry up, would you? I can’t hold the doorway open all day.”

I bent down to scratch the tuft of fur under his jaw. If Gato was here, that meant Leo and Lara weren’t far. I had to go before they found me, and the Arcane Authorities who had me under arrest. With a lump in my throat, I whispered to him. “Tell them not to come looking for me.”

The cat stopped, sitting back to listen. “They’ll be punished if they do, and I—I’d never forgive myself.”

Gato growled, turning to hiss at the men still waiting at the wall.

I hushed him, dropping my voice lower to make sure they couldn’t hear. “I’ll be alright. And I’ll be back as soon as I can. Now go.”

The cat jumped back up onto the trash can and then up to the roof, turning back to look at me only for a moment before he vanished from sight. I hoped they’d understand.

“Let’s go—”

Before he could finish, I crossed my arms, bent my head, and stomped down the alley and through the portal. My jaw clenched tight to stop the stinging in the back of my throat.

The Arcane Authority guys had just finished explaining to the Council delegate—a man with graying brown hair, kind eyes, and a thick southern accent—what I’d done.

“Given that she’s underage with no guardians, we thought it a matter best handled by the council directly.”

The older man huffed from the other side of the ornate wooden desk separating us. “Yes, yes,” he said, waving them off, never once taking his milky gaze from me. “Thank you, that’ll be all.”

Thick Brows stiffened. Likely, they weren’t used to being so easily dismissed. But they left without another word, closing the large double doors to the office behind them with a solemn click.

“Now then.” The delegate of the Arcane Council smiled, showing two rows of yellowed teeth between his thin lips. “Are you often able to produce magic in such… magnitude?”

I tucked my hands between my knees to stop them from vibrating as I spoke. Did my best to meet his gaze with a steady one of my own. “No. I don’t know what happened.”

“You needn’t lie to me, girl,” he said softly, cocking his head to one side as he considered me. Something in his expression, or maybe in the way he’d said it made me believe him. Maybe if I told him the truth, he’d understand it wasn’t my fault I couldn’t control it.

“Sometimes,” I amended cautiously. I couldn’t decide one way or the other if I should trust the old man.

There were twelve delegates that made up the Arcane Council, and a Magistrate that had the final say on the important things.

My mind was still reeling with the fact that I now sat in the office of one of the most powerful men in the witching community.

He could have me imprisoned. Killed. The most likely thing to happen would be to be stripped of all my powers which, honestly, wouldn’t be all that bad. At least then I wouldn’t have to hide or check my power all the time when it came rushing up out of nowhere.

Like in the streets of the French Quarter.