Hunted by Magic (13 page)

“It was pretty damn easy if you ask me.” Xiver smiled slyly. “The bastard was half paralyzed from all that gas, so he missed with whatever stupid spell he tried to cast on me. He was weak as a kitten when I grabbed his robe and shoved him out the door, so no way he survived the five-thousand-foot drop. He’s burning in the afterlife right now for all his crimes against humanity.”

Fenris let go of Xiver, his head bowed as he stepped back, and for a moment I thought he was done. But then he lifted his head, eyes gleaming with fury as he pinned Xiver with the coldest, deadliest glare I’d ever seen.

“Your crimes are inexcusable,” he whispered, raising his hands. My eyes widened as power crackled from his fingertips, the blue-green glow I associated with magic. “On behalf of the Federation, I sentence you to death.”

Bolts of lightning erupted from Fenris’s hands, hitting Xiver straight in the chest. Annia and I both clapped our hands over our ears, a second before a deafening crack ripped through the air. The soldier’s mouth opened in a scream as the lightning tore through him, and I squeezed my eyes against the flash of purple and yellow that momentarily lit up the clearing. Spots danced beneath my closed eyelids, and I waited until the sizzle in the air subsided before opening my eyes.

What had been a healthy human male only a minute ago was now reduced to human-shaped chunk of blackened flesh. The stench of charred flesh coated my nostrils, but I was less stunned by Xiver’s death than by the manner of how it had happened. Ripping my eyes away from Xiver’s corpse, I stared at Fenris, whose chest heaved with exertion even as he continued to glare at the remnants of the human who’d inspired his wrath.

“Oh, that is
it
!” Annia stomped her foot, looking pissed as hell. She marched right up to Fenris and dug her fingers into the fabric of his shirt, pulling him around to face her. “I knew you’ve been hiding something since day one, and I can’t take it anymore. You’re going to spill the beans about what you really are, and you’re going to do it
right now.
”

“Let go of me,” Fenris snarled, ripping her hand away, but I stepped forward and placed my own hand on Fenris’s shoulder, digging my fingers a little more firmly into his muscles than was perhaps necessary.

“Fuck that,” I snapped, my anger rising quickly to match Annia’s. “You don’t get to hide behind your excuses anymore, Fenris, not after that crazy fireworks show you put on for us. How the fuck did you do that?” I jabbed my finger in the direction of Xiver’s corpse.

“He’s got to be a hybrid,” Annia declared, her eyes narrowed as she studied Fenris. “No wonder the Chief Mage took you in, Naya. Apparently you’re not his first pet project.”

“I am
not
Iannis’s pet,” Fenris growled. “Nor am I a
project
, as you so callously put it.”

“But you’re a hybrid, aren’t you?” I pushed, noticing that he hadn’t denied it. “I understand why you might want to hide that from everyone else, but why would you hide it from me?” I asked, hurt creeping into my voice. “I thought we were closer than this.” I let the illusion spells drop from us, and Fenris’s thick, dark hair and beard rematerialized along with his regular features. “Aren’t there few of us as it is? Shouldn’t we be sticking together instead of hiding our nature from each other?”

Fenris sighed, running a hand across his beard. “It isn’t that simple, Sunaya. I’m not sure that the term ‘hybrid’ properly defines what I am.”

“Well then tell us what does,” Annia said, tapping her foot impatiently. “We’ve got time, and nobody but us is around to hear your secret.”

Fenris pressed his lips together as he scanned the tree line, and I knew he was using his senses to try and determine if anyone was nearby. “This is extremely sensitive information,” he said quietly. “If I share this with you, you must promise to tell no one. My life depends on it, and more importantly, Iannis’s as well.”

“Of course,” I said, my anger dissipating as eager curiosity resurfaced. Excitement lit inside my chest at the idea that I might finally be able to unravel the mystery that was Fenris. “We won’t tell a soul, right Annia?”

“I swear by the Ur-God,” she said promptly. “Your secret is safe with me.”

“Very well.” Fenris stared up at the starry sky peeking through the tree branches, and I wondered if he was just gathering his thoughts or looking for guidance. “The truth is that I was not born as a shifter at all. I was born a mage, to a wealthy Federation family in Nebara.”

“That’s impossible.” I gaped at him, dumbstruck. Nebara was two states north of Mexia, located almost directly in the center of the Federation. “Mages don’t become shifters. Why the fuck would you do something like that?”

“In order to escape a death sentence.”

Annia frowned. “But you said you were from a wealthy mage family. What could you have possibly done to earn a death sentence that they couldn’t have saved you from?”

Fenris snorted. “Money and status doesn’t protect you from everything, Annia. And besides, I wasn’t just a mage from a wealthy family. I was the Chief Mage of Nebara.”

“No fucking way.” Annia’s eyes nearly popped out of her skull. “You mean Polar ar’Tollis? The one who was sentenced to death by the Minister’s Office for helping prisoners escape?”

“I believe that’s what I just told you,” Fenris said dryly.

“By Magorah.” I sat down in the dirt, overwhelmed with what I’d just heard. Everybody knew about Polar. He’d helped a human family whose child had tested positively for magic escape across the northern border to avoid execution, and the Federation had decided to make an example of him by executing him in the child’s place. “I can’t believe it. No one was ever sure if you’d escaped, or if the Federation had decided to kill you quietly.”

Fenris huffed. “The Federation wanted to make my death a public spectacle to discourage other mages from following in my footsteps. They would have succeeded had Iannis not intervened.”

“I can’t believe I’m hearing this.” I leaned my head back against the tree trunk and pressed my palm against my forehead. “Are you telling me that
Iannis
turned you into a shifter?”

“Keep your voice down!” Fenris hissed, glaring at me. “If anyone overhears that and word gets back to the Federation, they’ll have us
both
executed.”

“You’ll have to excuse us if we’re a little shocked,” Annia said, shaking her head. She sat down on a small rock in the middle of the clearing and stared at Fenris with something akin to awe. “It’s not every day that we meet a shifter who used to be a Chief Mage.”

“I didn’t even know there were any mages around that still knew how to pull that off,” I muttered. The practice of creating shifters had been banned nearly a thousand years ago, a long time ago even by mage standards.

“The act may have been banned, but the spells still exist, and are even practiced in secret in certain countries that choose to flaunt the Great Accord.” Fenris sniffed at that. “Using an old and dangerous spell, Iannis and I managed to fake my death, and he transformed me in secret. I was in hiding for over a year before I came to live with him at Solantha Palace. You’ll understand why I keep well away from naturally born shifters.”

“Wow. That’s incredible.” My heart swelled with emotion at the thought that Iannis would do something so utterly selfless. I wished he were here so that I could throw my arms around him and hug him for it. The more I learned about him, the more I realized just how different he was from the stereotypical mage. “I guess you two must have been good friends.”

“Yes…you learn who your true friends are when you’re desperate. We met years ago in Manuc when I was traveling overseas, and kept up a correspondence. I backed him when the Federation was voting on his appointment as Canalo’s next Chief Mage. When he heard I was in trouble, he didn’t hesitate.” Fenris’s shoulders slumped. “I suppose that’s part of the reason why I lost my temper. Iannis saved me, and now that it’s my turn to save him, I’m failing.”

“We’re not failing,” I said firmly, taking his hand in mine and squeezing it. “We’re hitting a few roadblocks, that’s for sure, but we’re not defeated and we’re not going to be. As long as this thing is still glowing, we’re going to keep searching.” I pulled out the
serapha
charm that was tied to Iannis’s soul, and light burst from it once more.

“You still haven’t explained how it is that you can do magic,” Annia said, frowning a little. “If the Chief Mage turned you into a shifter, shouldn’t that mean you can’t do magic anymore?”

“In theory you would be right,” Fenris said, his lips quirking into a smile. “But shifters naturally have some magic at their disposal in order to shift, and Iannis tried to preserve as much of my power as possible during the transformation. I do not have the magical strength that I once did, and my skills are not what they used to be, but I still retain my knowledge and can do some spellwork.” He closed his eyes as he wiped a hand over his face. “It is exhausting though, especially large bursts of magic such as frying someone with a lightning bolt.”

“Here, let’s eat.” I pulled Fenris and Annia away from the stench of the charred body, then pulled out some dried meat for Fenris out of my backpack. We’d smuggled food from the pantry into our packs, stretching our supplies out a little longer. “We should replenish our strength as much as we can before we head out.”

“To where, though?” Fenris demanded. “We’ve no clue where Iannis ended up.”

“No, but Xiver did give us a good idea of where he parked that dirigible. Maybe we can find some clues there.”

“Yeah, and didn’t the captain say their mage went to destroy the dirigible?” Annia added. “If we can intercept him, maybe we can keep him from getting back to the camp so we can rescue the delegates without his interference.”

“I would love to get my hands on that traitor,” Fenris said, a hungry gleam in his eyes as he chewed his jerky. “Between the three of us there is a good chance we’d be able to subdue him.”

“Alright.” I patted Fenris on the back, then popped another piece of jerky into my mouth. And as we prepared to leave, I wondered just how much excitement I could look forward to now that Fenris was finally letting his bloodthirsty side show.

A
fter our short rest
, we headed back north into the mountain range in the direction we thought the dirigible might have ended up in. Unfortunately, Xiver hadn’t been exaggerating when he’d said he’d hidden it well, and we searched for several hours without any sight of it. Between hiking up into the forest with Xiver, then back out again and up into the range, we were exhausted, so halfway through the night we collapsed in a cave and slept for a few hours. I had to admit I missed the cots we’d slept on at the Resistance camp, but I was so tired from all the magical and physical exertion that I couldn’t bring myself to care overmuch.

The sound of unknown voices woke me, and I bolted upright to see that two Coazi males were standing at the entrance to our cave. Their forms were backlit by the morning sun rays streaming in, and I jumped to my feet, squinting against the light. Fenris and Annia, who’d been woken by my motion, quickly followed suit, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Annia nock an arrow and aim it at the intruders.

“Hold up,” I said, raising my hands to indicate to the Coazi that I meant no harm. The spears in their hands were pointed downward, and I didn’t think they intended to attack us, though they stiffened at Annia’s aggressive stance. “They’re not pointing any weapons at us, Annia, so I think we should do the same.” I waited until she lowered her bow, then turned my attention back to the Coazi. “Good morning.”

“Are you seeking Flying Man?” the one on the left asked as the two stepped a little further into the cave and out of the blinding light. Now that they were a little closer, I could see that though they wore the same buckskin tunics as the other tribe we’d encountered, the beads decorating their clothing were arranged in triangular patterns rather than the swirls the other tribe favored.

“Flying Man?” I echoed, confused but hopeful. Could he mean…?

The male nodded. “White man with purple eyes fell from the sky seven suns ago. Halyma saw a great spirit in him, and took him back to our village to be her
sharalli.
”

“Uh-oh,”
Fenris said to me.
“I’m not sure exactly what a
sharalli
is, but I think it means consort or husband.”

“What!” I exclaimed aloud, and the two Coazi jumped, startled at my outburst.

“Is Flying Man your
sharalli
?” one of them inquired, looking at me curiously. “He say nothing about another woman.”

“He was maybe afraid?” the other Coazi pondered. “Nobody says no to Halyma.”

“Halyma is your shaman?” I asked.

“Yes.” The two males nodded simultaneously. “She is chief shamaness of the Coazi. We do not like white man living among us, but Halyma has temper like raging buffalo, so we say nothing.”

“Thank you for your assistance.” Fenris stepped forward before I could ask anything more, taking control of the conversation. He waved a hand in the air and spoke a few Words, and immediately the males’ eyes glazed over. “You will forget that you saw us, and return to your village.” His voice resonated with power, and the burnt-sugar scent of magic stung the air.

The two Coazi blinked, then immediately turned on their heels and walked away. I opened my mouth to speak, but Fenris held up a hand.

“Stay silent until they are out of earshot.”

“Why the hell did you do that?”
I snapped, my fingernails digging into my palms.
“I wasn’t done talking to them!”

“They’ve told us all we need to know. Their shamaness is holding Iannis hostage, and we need to go to their village and get him back. Giving them more information about us isn’t going to help, and if they warn the village we are coming that isn’t going to help either.”

I huffed out a breath, my ears telling me the Coazi were gone. “How do we know that Iannis is being held there against his will? I can’t imagine any of the Coazi being strong enough to do that.”

“Yes, and
I
can’t imagine Iannis willingly choosing to remain with the Coazi when so much is at stake,” Fenris pointed out. “From what these two men just told us, their shamaness is not only powerful, but she has a temper and her people are afraid of her. We need to get close enough to the village to do a proper reconnaissance so we can figure out the best way to extract Iannis.”

“Well I know
that
,” I said peevishly, turning my gaze toward the cave entrance. Honestly, I knew Fenris was right, and I’d been coming to the same conclusion myself. But as soon as the Coazi had said Iannis was their shamaness’s new consort, the need to grill them and find out just what the hell that position entailed had consumed my mind. Did that mean the two of them were married? Was Iannis spending his days frolicking in the grass with her, and his nights rolling around in her bed? Iannis didn’t even know this woman – how could she claim him so quickly? He was not hers to keep. My blood boiled, and I fisted my hands at my sides.

“Relax, Naya.” Annia patted me on the shoulder, bringing me back to the present, and I turned to look at her. “We’re not going to know for sure what’s up with Iannis until we get there and see for ourselves. For all you know she’s got him chained up in her tent, trying to force him into submission.”

I laughed and winced all at once as an image of Iannis chained to the floor of a tent with a bunch of bearskin rugs underneath him and probably nothing covering him popped into my head. That wouldn’t be so bad if I was there, but considering it was the shamaness…

“By Magorah, but we’ve got to hurry.” Shaking my head, I cleared my mind of the image. It didn’t matter what kind of state Iannis was in, we still had to get him back. Reaching for my beast, I shifted into panther form, then headed out with Fenris and Annia, hoping against hope that we’d get to Iannis in time to undo whatever spell the shamaness had put on him.

B
ack in beast form
, Fenris and I were able to track the two Coazi males without difficulty despite the lead we’d given them. We followed at a distance, with Annia even further behind to make sure we drew no attention to ourselves. It took another couple of hours, but by early afternoon we arrived at the tribe’s camp, set on a plateau at the edge of a large patch of forest high up on the mountainside.

Rather than following the two males into the camp, we hung back in the forest, shifting back into human form and climbing up tall pine trees so we could get a good view of the camp while remaining hidden from view. Perched securely on a branch, with my legs wrapped around the tree’s trunk in case the branch wasn’t as sturdy as I’d gauged, I fished out a spyglass and extended it, then fitted the lens to my eye.

Like the Coazi tribe we’d met on the plains, the mountain Coazi set up their dwellings in a circle. Unlike the plains Coazi, their huts were made out of wooden frames that were covered in what looked like woven mats and sheets of bark. In addition to several large looms where women sat and wove rugs, the center of the circle also housed a large, communal fire pit with logs set up around it for people to sit on. Several women were prepping the fire pit for cooking, and I noticed a woman watching from the side who was more elaborately dressed than the others. The feathers in her hair were a brilliant blue, and a colorful shawl with animal patterns woven expertly into the fabric was draped around her slim shoulders. The buckskin dress she wore flattered her shapely figure and regal bearing. Jealousy flashed low in my gut as I guessed that she must be Halyma.

“No sign of the Chief Mage yet,” Annia commented as she studied the camp through a pair of bronze binoculars. “You think he’s hiding out in one of those huts over there?”

A series of whoops and shouts echoed from the forest on the opposite side of the camp, and everyone in the clearing turned toward the sound as one. Both adults and children started jumping and shouting as well, and there was no mistaking their excitement as they all ran toward the edge of the forest.

A small group of Coazi men armed with spears and bows emerged from the forest, a pair of large hunting dogs dancing around their feet as they carried a huge elk back to the camp. I nearly fell out of the tree as I spotted Iannis at the head of the group, along with two other hunters. Brightly colored feathers very similar to the shamaness’s were woven into his cherrywood locks, and he’d traded in his robes for buckskins. The tunic and leggings he wore showcased his tall, lean form in a way that his robes never did. I drank in the sight hungrily, my eyes roaming over his broad chest and shoulders, his lean waist, and long legs that I could tell were muscular even through the buckskin pants. His violet eyes glowed with health and vitality, and his white teeth gleamed as he flashed a brilliant smile.

Except that smile wasn’t for me, I realized as I followed his gaze. That smile was for the shamaness, who had rushed forward to greet him along with the others. The whole tribe crowded around them, whooping and cheering at the sight of the elk, which had been bound to a long, sturdy tree log that all six of the men helped to carry. The shamaness gave Iannis a feline smile as she twined her arms around his neck, and I hissed as she pressed her slim curves against him. I saw lips move as words were exchanged, and Iannis lowered his head and kissed her.

“No fucking way!” Annia hissed as a red haze spread across my vision. My claws dug into the bark, and I realized a second later that I was snarling, my fangs bared. “Not only is he one of them, but he’s standing there making out with that hussy shamaness while the rest of Solantha is losing their minds?”

I ground my teeth together, choosing not to respond because honestly, I didn’t know what to say. I felt like someone had thrust a superheated blade straight through my heart. The searing agony made it hard to breathe, and hot tears gathered at the corners of my eyes. I’d come all the way out here to rescue Iannis, only to find that he’d thrown himself wholeheartedly at another woman. And from the way he was kissing her, it didn’t seem like he had any plans on leaving.

“Your lack of faith is unbecoming, Sunaya,” Fenris warned, his eyes narrowed as he read my emotions perfectly. Not that I imagined that was a great feat – I’m sure they were stamped across my face for the whole world to see. “You and I both know that Iannis would never willingly abandon his people to live amongst the Coazi. What we are seeing here is clearly a product of the shamaness’s trickery.”

“But –”

“This is the same man who took you in against the wishes of the Council and made you his apprentice. The same man who risked his life and reputation to save me from execution. Do you
really
think that he would willingly abandon his responsibilities now, when his people need him more than ever?”

“No.” I let out a heavy sigh, and tried to push out all the negativity in my chest along with that breath. But it was hard, especially as I watched the two of them link hands and walk back into the camp with the rest of the Coazi. The group dispersed now that the welcome committee had done its job, the ones who’d been in the midst of chores returning to their tasks while others jumped in to help skin and prep the elk for dinner.

“I guess you’re right, but it’s hard to reconcile that logic with what my eyes are seeing,” I told Fenris, ripping my gaze away from Iannis. I really didn’t want to watch him hold hands with the shamaness anymore.

“I understand, but you have to put your emotions aside and focus on the mission,” Fenris reminded me, his eyes softening with sympathy. “Besides, I imagine that when Iannis sees you again, he will have no trouble forgetting about the shamaness’s charms.” His lips curled into a smile.

“Yeah, right,” I scoffed as a blush crept up my cheeks and butterflies erupted in my stomach. “Let’s just focus on getting him out of there. The sooner we can get him away from that woman, the sooner we can beat some sense back into him.”

“That’s the spirit.”