Hunted by Magic (14 page)

W
e waited
until the sun had set and the evening meal was in full swing before enacting our first plan. We’d gone through a couple of different options, including outright kidnapping Iannis, but even though he might have been under some kind of enchantment, there was no evidence that he didn’t still have full use of his formidable powers. In fact, he was the only one of the hunters who didn’t carry a weapon, so he was probably relying on magic even now.

“Alright,” Fenris said as we watched Iannis leave the fire and head back into one of the tents. We’d already tried using mindspeak to reach him, but he hadn’t responded, so our only choice was to get closer. “I’ll head in now.” He crouched down, white light enveloping him as he changed from man to wolf.

“Be careful,” I told him as the light faded from his form, revealing a large wolf with coarse brown fur and yellow eyes. “The Coazi won’t be happy if they see you anywhere near their children.”

“Don’t worry.”
Fenris shook himself, then stretched and yawned, revealing his sharp, white fangs. It was still hard to believe that he’d once been a full-blooded mage, even with all the little clues I’d noticed before.
“I can be stealthy.”

Annia and I climbed up a tree and watched as Fenris quietly approached the camp. At first we thought things were going to be fine – nearly all of the Coazi were happily gathered near the fire, including the children, who were playing with the dogs.

The dogs.

“Oh fuck!” I cursed, suddenly realizing how stupid we were.
“Fenris, get out of there! The dogs—”

But it was too late. One of the dogs had suddenly stopped playing, ears perked and nose in the air as he sniffed. Fenris, who was outside Iannis’s tent, froze and the dog bayed as he caught the intruder’s scent. The two huge beasts sprang forward, and Fenris made a run for it, but several Coazi rushed out of their tents, blocking his path as the slavering dogs closed in. My breath caught in my throat as I watched Iannis rush out of his tent, then stand by and do nothing as the two animals fell upon Fenris. There was no recognition in Iannis’s eyes, only a bemused frown as he watched the three beasts roll around in the dirt, jaws snapping and snarling as they fought for the upper hand. The Coazi were closing in, already making a tight circle around the animals, so there was no way Fenris was escaping – the only way he was getting out of this was if he changed back into a human, and if he did that our cover would be blown.

Just as I was getting ready to jump out of the tree and charge into the camp, the shamaness stepped forward, her shawl fluttering around her slender arms as she made a cutting motion with her arm and shouted something. The dogs backed off instantly, returning to her side, and Fenris lay there panting for a moment, clearly weakened by the attack. Before he could get up, the shamaness reached into a pouch hanging from her belt and tossed some sort of powder at Fenris, then shouted something I could not understand. A purple glow enveloped Fenris, and my heart froze as he stopped moving.

“Fenris!”
I cried out.
“What did she do to you? Are you hurt?”

“Not hurt…but extremely lethargic,”
Fenris answered as the Coazi tossed him into a wooden cage and tied it shut with leather ropes.
“You need to get to Iannis and break the spell on him – I could see the aura of a strong enchantment around him, and cannot not reach him with mindspeak even here. I have a feeling the shamaness has plans for me that I’m not going to enjoy, so please hurry.”
Beneath the urgency of his tone I could sense Fenris’s disappointment, and I felt bad for him. Even though he knew Iannis had been under a spell, it must have cut Fenris deeply that his best friend had not recognized and aided him.

“No kidding,”
I said as I watched the Coazi carry Fenris’s cage into one of the huts that was near the fire. It was smaller than the others, and had some kind of ceremonial beading dripping from the entrance in lieu of a door, so I had a feeling the hut was used for rituals or important meetings.
“Are you sure we shouldn’t just storm the camp and rescue you first? I really don’t want them to sacrifice you to whatever gods or spirits they worship.”

“An attack now would be too dangerous, since Iannis is under the shamaness’s control and will likely defend the tribe along with her. You need to get him alone and break through the spell clouding his mind. It’s the only way.”

“And just how am I supposed to do that?”
I demanded, digging my claws into the pine bark as panic rose in my chest.
“He didn’t recognize you at all, Fenris, and the two of you have known each other for years. What makes you think he’s going to recognize me?”

“He probably won’t,”
Fenris admitted heavily.
“But if you can get the
serapha
charm back around his neck, that might help you break the spell.”

“Umm, so what’s the plan, exactly?” Annia asked, sounding more than a little worried. “I’m going to assume you’ve been chatting with Fenris instead of staring dumbly off into space, and it would be nice to know what we’re doing next.”

“Fenris says I should try putting the
serapha
charm around Iannis’s neck and see if that breaks the spell.” I tugged the chain from beneath my shirt and stared down at the charm. “I guess if I do that, it’ll remind him of our connection and hopefully get through to him. I just hope he doesn’t see me as a threat and try to kill me.”

“Just because the Chief Mage is dressing like a Coazi and under a spell doesn’t mean he isn’t the same person,” Annia pointed out. “From what you’ve told me, the Chief Mage isn’t a shoot first, ask questions later kind of guy. If you can get him alone for long enough, you might just be able to reason with him.”

“I sure hope so, because it looks like I’m about to get my shot,” I said as Iannis walked out of a hut with a small bundle beneath his arm. I watched as he headed in the direction of the woods he’d come from earlier, and my heart rate shot up as anticipation raced through me.

“I’ll stay up here and make sure Fenris doesn’t become dinner,” Annia told me. “You go get the Chief Mage, and don’t forget to take a piece out of that ass of his for putting you through the wringer.”

“Damn right.” I cracked a smile, then grew serious again. “If you see an opportunity to get Fenris out of there, jump on it.”

“Will do.”

I sprang out of the tree, then shifted into panther form and crept around the camp, careful to stay out of sight behind the tree line and downwind of the dogs. The last thing I needed was for the Coazi to find me and stick me in a cage next to Fenris. Thankfully they’d gone back to eating and dancing around the fire, and with my inky-black fur nobody would be able to spot me beneath the cover of the pines.

Once I’d made it around to the forest on the other side of the camp, I put my nose to the ground and started sniffing out Iannis’s trail. It didn’t take me long to find it, and I trotted uphill, winding my way through the trees and taking care not to rustle the needle-laden branches. I didn’t want to alert Iannis to my presence – the last thing I needed was for him to blast me with his magic because he thought I was a wild animal that wanted him for dinner.

As Iannis’s scent grew stronger, the sound of running water greeted my ears, followed by a splash. A gap in the trees brought the stream into view, and I nearly tripped over a pinecone as I caught sight of Iannis standing waist deep in the water without a stitch of clothing on. My mouth went dry as I watched the moonlight play over the muscles of his broad back, and I traced a line down his spine with my gaze until it disappeared beneath the silver ripples of the water. A flush spread across my skin, and suddenly I was too hot for my fur.

As Iannis dunked his head beneath the water, I shifted back into human form, figuring that was probably my safest bet. I stepped out of the tree line as he resurfaced, and swallowed hard as he tilted his head back and pushed his gleaming mane of hair back from his face. Silver moonlight played across the strong planes of his handsome face, highlighting the length of his nose, the edges of his high cheekbones, the strength of his triangular jaw. His sensual lips, normally so firm, parted on a contented sigh, and it struck me that I’d never seen him so relaxed. I wondered if he was like this in the privacy of his rooms, or if living out in the wilderness had softened him.

What if he really
does
want to be here?

As though he sensed my gaze, Iannis’s whole body stiffened, and he turned sharply in my direction. Iridescent eyes clashed with mine, and an electric current zapped through me as he looked me up and down. Something like wary recognition flickered in his eyes, and I seized on that as hope filled me.

“Iannis.” I took a cautious step forward, moving slowly as I might with a wild animal I was trying not to startle. “It’s me, Sunaya. I’ve been looking for you.”

“Looking for me?” His dark brows pulled together in a frown as confusion filled his gaze. “I am not lost.”

“Yes, you are.” I kept my voice low but firm as I stopped close to the edge of the stream. “You were flying to Dara in a dirigible bound for the Convention, but you never made it there. People have been looking everywhere for you. Solantha has been in a panic ever since we learned you were missing.”

“Solantha,” he said slowly, testing the word out on his tongue. “My city.” A shadow passed through his eyes then, and he shook his head vehemently. “No, this is my home. I belong here with the Coazi.”

“No, you don’t!” My voice began to rise as agitation got the better of me. “These are not your people, Iannis. You have friends and colleagues who desperately need you. Not to mention that
I
desperately need you.”

“You do?” Iannis looked positively bewildered. “What for?”

“Because I’m your apprentice!” I cried, throwing my hands up in the air. Not knowing what else to do, I tugged the chain I’d given to Iannis over my head and held it out to him. “We agreed to wear these, don’t you remember? So that we could always find each other in case one of us was in trouble?”

The stone flared to life, and Iannis recoiled as if struck. “Get that away from me!” he cried, throwing his hands up as if to shield himself. A burst of magic emanated from his hands, and a hard gust of wind hit me, sending me flying backward. I sailed several feet through the air before landing hard on my butt with a yelp.

“By Magorah!” I shouted, struggling up into a sitting position. “What the hell was that for?”

“Halyma told me that the stone on that necklace was black magic, and it was preventing us from being together.” Iannis scowled at the
serapha
charm, which was still clutched in my fist. “She said the pain in my chest would go away if I took it off, so I did. Why do you have it?”

“Because I was using it to track you down!” I snapped as I got back up to my feet. “Halyma is a liar, Iannis. She’s using her shaman powers to trick you into believing that you’re her lover, and that you belong here when you really don’t. She didn’t want you wearing the necklace because she didn’t want me to find you.”

Something flared in Iannis’s eyes for a moment, and then that same shadow I’d seen earlier clouded his irises again. “Halyma is my
sharalla.
She wouldn’t want to hurt me.”

“She’s selfish,” I insisted. “Come here and let me prove it to you.”

“No!” The shadow in his eyes darkened, and Iannis retreated to the other side of the stream. “You are the one who is trying to trick me.”

I ground my teeth together, frustrated beyond belief with this game of cat and mouse. I wanted to jump into the water and wrestle the necklace over Iannis’s head, but I knew he’d just hit me with his magic. Even if his brain seemed to be
addled, he was still the Chief Mage, and there was no way I’d win that fight.

Then do not fight,
a cool voice whispered in my head, one I’d heard before.
Sometimes it is better to use honey instead of flame.

I sucked in another breath as another idea came to me, one that made me hot all over and incredibly nervous at the same time. It was risky, but probably the best shot I had at getting past Iannis’s defenses. And right now, breaking the spell on him was more important than my pride.

“Are you giving up, then?” Iannis demanded as I took a step back from the edge of the stream and slipped the chain back around my neck. I could have sworn I saw something like disappointment in his eyes, but his jaw was set and his glare didn’t waver.

“Well it’s too bad you’re not willing to listen to me,” I said as I slid my pack from my back and dropped it on the ground near Iannis’s buckskins. “But since I came all the way up here, I don’t see why this whole trip has to be a whole waste. That stream looks pretty inviting, and I intend to have myself a bath.”

“W-what?” Iannis’s eyes widened as I tossed my jacket to the ground. By Magorah, but had I really just heard the unflappable Chief Mage
stammer
? “You can’t use the stream while I’m here.”

“Why not?” I asked innocently as I tugged my shirt off over my head. I stretched my arms overhead for a moment, giving Iannis a good view of my nearly bare torso, then allowed the shirt to flutter to the ground. “Is that some kind of Coazi law?”

“No, but Halyma would be furious…” Iannis momentarily lost his train of thought as I unhooked my bra from the front, letting my breasts spill from their confines. Hunger gleamed in his violet eyes, fanning the flames that were already spreading through my lower belly. He cleared his throat as I tossed the bra away. “She wouldn’t want me to bathe with another woman, and might well hurt you in her displeasure.”

At least he didn’t want me to be harmed. Maybe this wasn’t so hopeless after all.

“Who said anything about you bathing with me?” I undid my belt buckle, then slowly shimmied out of my pants and underwear all at once. My breasts swayed along with the movement, and I nearly grinned at the look of raw longing in Iannis’s eyes. Damn, but why hadn’t I done this sooner? “We’re just sharing the same stream.” I stepped out of my pants and toed them away as if my blood wasn’t pumping with fear and excitement, as if my breath weren’t coming short at the thought of entering the water with Iannis wearing nothing but my skin.