Savage Magic (12 page)

The comfort of his body against mine seeped into me, making me want to believe that everything would work out, that somehow my secret would stay safe and I could be with him.
 

Only I'd outgrown believing in fairytales a long time ago.

Cooper and I made up next to the creek on a patch of soft moss and leaves. Afterward, I convinced him to let me go back alone. We both knew that if the time came for him to assume the responsibilities of
Aesei Siian
he would, and I didn't see the point of adding to our stack of problems by throwing our relationship in people's faces.
 

My motivations for that weren't all altruistic. I needed my space. My heart ached because of what might be ahead for us, and I had no interest in making that misery public. I also wanted to talk to Miller alone. Knowing the practitioner, what I'd asked him to do was already underway, and soon I'd be able to test if my theory about the pandemic was viable. If it was, we might be able to save Ryker, but until I was sure, I didn't want to give Cooper any false hopes.

When I was close to the compound, I slowed to a more human-level pace, arriving at the gate about a half an hour before sunset. Cooper planned to do some hunting to give himself a good cover story. If he didn't make it back before the gates were locked, he knew how to fend for himself in the woods after dark. He'd be okay.
 

"What happened to your casts?" Bald Guy rumbled as I strolled past him.

"They itched, so I broke them off."

He grunted, acknowledging that universal truth. "It's not safe for you in the woods without an escort," he added gruffly. "Next time, look for me."

I raised my brows, not sure if I'd really heard the faint note of concern and respect underlying his voice. "Thanks. I'll do that." Since when had hating on the human turned into this oddly protective attitude?

He grunted again, a handy communication device if you didn't favor the more standard social graces, and went back to keeping a sharp eye on the woods around the compound.
 

Shaking my head, I made for the second tier of the stronghold. When I opened the door to the apartment, my hold on the handle was the only thing that saved me from going down when the tread of my boot slipped on the pieces of paper littering the floor. "Miller!" I called out as I pushed them aside with my toe and closed the door. "What's up with the mess by the door?"

A quick loop around the apartment told me that he wasn't there, so I returned to the front door and scooped up the squares of paper. Flipping one of them over, I discovered a note scrawled on the back. "Eat and eat a lot," I read out loud. "Lunch and dinner have been left in your refrigerator. Dr. Barrett."
 

My attention immediately focused on my neglected stomach which had given up the fight hours ago and collapsed in defeat against my spine. I scooped up the other papers and continued to the kitchen. Finally, a medical order I could get behind.

As I plowed through the roast chicken, sweet potato casserole and salad that he'd left for me, I read the other notes one by one. First, Noah saying Dr. Barrett wouldn't let him in to see me, but that he'd heard I was better and hoped I'd keep it up. And that he'd saved his piece of chocolate cake from dinner for me.
 

Next was Rosalind informing me that my unusual weapon was on my dresser and she trusted that I'd find it in good working order. Then Deg grudgingly apologizing for almost killing me, which gave me a coughing fit that took half a glass of water to settle. And finally, one from Miller telling me that he thought I was on to something and had sent for the item as I'd suggested.

Relief sank into me and I smiled. Feeling that things might finally be going in a good direction, I went to bed.
 

The next morning, I could hear Miller snoring behind his closed bedroom door, so after breakfast I strapped on my Browning and snuck out onto the breezeway to drink my second cup of coffee. The weather had turned a few degrees warmer as it often does in the South during the fall, and the light breeze off the woods carried the tang of dirt and green that reminded me of coffee and chocolate with a little dash of Christmas tree.
 

It seemed the fight with Deg had accomplished the impossible. Bone Clan might not welcome me with open arms, but they were starting to respect me and that seemed like a good start. Since every test Dr. Barrett did on me proved that I was human, maybe I had a chance of keeping my secret. Maybe everything really would work out.
 

I tried to avoid wondering if I could ever make this place my home, but the thought persisted, and I ended up drifting into a pleasant daydream where Ryker recovered and Cooper and I could be together.

I leaned my shoulder against one of the breezeway pillars and took another sip of my coffee, thinking over all the irresistible and pleasant ways that scenario could play out. Until the yelling started.

Looking down into the compound, I saw Noah by the pond, a large, snarling gray and buff-colored wolf between him and a group of children that had huddled together at the edge of the water. Adrenaline shot into my blood stream.
 

I dropped my cup and bolted down the breezeway. When I hit the stairs, I didn't care who saw me, or what they thought, as I half ran and half slid to reach the grass. As I raced for the pond, the Were lunged at Noah. The kid took off for the first tier of the stronghold, running flat out, the wolf behind him and gaining fast. Pouring on the speed, I intercepted them and tackled the wolf.

Noah shouted my name as I tumbled to a stop. I sprang away from the wolf, spinning to face him as he launched himself at my throat. "Get those kids out of here!" I shouted, grabbing the wolf's nose and jaw with my hands as we went down.
 

Fighting to keep his mouth open, I brought up my left knee and pushed against his weight to keep from getting the wind knocked out of me as my back hit into the ground. He wrenched his head back and forth trying to break my hold, his hot breath putrid with a cloying kind of sickly sweet stench like rotten Jasmine as it fanned my face. With a grunt of effort, I carried through with the momentum of my fall. Rolling into a backwards summersault, I shoved him up and over my head.

The points of his fangs caught my arm and sank in as I slammed him into the ground with my legs. Burning like hot pokers, his teeth punctured through the skin and muscle of my forearm which was still tender from the beating it had recently taken. I slugged him in the nose with my other fist, breaking his hold on me as I followed through with the roll. Landing awkwardly on my ass, I scrambled out of reach, unsnapping the strap on my holster as I went. I drew my Browning.
 

"No, Addison!" Noah yelled.

The Were flipped to his feet as I cleared my weapon and sprang at me. I rolled to the left and aimed for his chest as a dull, murky light burst from the center and rippled over his body. He gave a yelp and staggered back. Shaking his head, he gathered himself to leap at me again. His legs buckled and the shift swept over him.
 

I jumped to my feet as the wolf on the ground flickered and pulsed, half animal, half man, his screams and howls ripping through the air randomly. My stomach lurched and acid washed the back of my throat.

"Get out of here, he's infected," I shouted at Noah, and a female Were I didn't know rushed up and grabbed the teen, pulling him away.
 

The Were on the ground in front of me gave a gurgling snarl and hauled himself up, rising until he stood upright on distorted human legs that sprouted from a thickened, armless torso covered in fur. From his grotesque, partially shifted human face, angry pain-filled yellow eyes locked onto me and he roared, the insane scream tumbling past the ragged edge of fangs and teeth that protruded from his bloody, lipless mouth. A chill shot down my spine, and I took a shaky step back.
 

I keyed my gun to Were and slid back another step as the chamber clicked into place. Aiming for his heart, I squeezed steadily down on the trigger. If I was right about the pandemic, one hit of my Were formula would probably kill him. But if he went after me or any of the others, I wouldn't hesitate to fire.

The mangled Were's eyes blazed with madness. He crouched down, his muscles quivering as he prepared to charge.

The air in front of me shimmered with a clear white light and the man from the ruins stood in front of me, naked, his back to me and his muscular arms out wide. "It's coming," he said in a calm voice.

The mangled Were hit him in the chest and he wrapped his arms around him as the infected shifter thrashed and whined. There was a snap of light and they were gone.

*
 
*
 
*

Cooper collided into me, stopping his momentum by spinning sharply as he wrapped his arms around me. A shadow of beard emphasized the strong lines of his jaw, leaves and dirt clung to his hair, and a swipe of dried blood smeared his bare chest. The smell of woods overlaid with animal blood and man sweat wrapped around me and I nearly choked.
 

He squeezed me hard enough to risk re-breaking my ribs and then pushed me away to arm's length. His gaze roamed over my body and face, then he lifted my right arm and frowned at the bloody puncture wounds. "What the hell were you thinking?" he ground out.
 

I pushed his hands off of me. "I saw a whacked-out Were and the kids he was going after. I got between them." I scowled at him. "Now I stink like a boy."

Cooper returned my angry look and pressed into my personal space. "I got back from spending the night in the woods and saw my whacked-out bon— girlfriend and the insane Were that was going after her. I tried to get between them."

"You had no business risking yourself to protect me. I had everything under control."

"I'd willingly die a thousand times if that's what it took to keep you safe."

My irritation stuttered to a stop as a familiar warmth spread through the middle of my chest. I shoved my Browning into its holster with a little more force than was strictly necessary. "Well,...fine," I muttered, pushing down the pleasure his concern gave me. "I can't keep you from being stupid."

He brushed his fingers along the curve of my face, sending a shiver through me that was anything but cold. "A thousand and one times, Addie," he said in a low, soft voice. Stepping back, he looked down at me, a smile sparkling in his eyes for a moment before his expression turned serious. "Now what have you done with Jesse?"

"I didn't—"

"Cooper Tiberius Harold Daine!" boomed an imperious female voice laced with what sounded like a touch of a French accent. "We have arrived."

Cooper's eyebrows shot up. I turned with him, surprise and then dismay shooting through me as a group of people came through the gate led by a woman not much over five feet tall, her silver-white hair braided into an elaborate pile on her head, the flowing
kurti
she wore a bold turquoise and orange pattern shot through with silver thread. Setting her sturdy cane firmly on the ground, she studied the compound as if she expected to find it lacking.

"Mistress Raevinne," Cooper stuttered, striding forward to take her hand and bow over it. "We're honored."

"We shall see." Her dark brown eyes crackled with intelligence as her assessing gaze swept over him. "
Aesei Siian
." She took back her hand and patted the center of his bare chest, apparently unperturbed by his rough appearance. "You are a fool to have done it. But the Bone Clan is blessed for your sacrifice."
 

Her attention transferred from Cooper to me and a hum of energy tightened around my body and then released. I bristled. Had I just been magically scanned by this tiny, bossy old person?

"Come," she said as she stumped in my direction. Her obedient entourage followed, consisting of a young woman and three strapping Weres that looked like they'd come out of prison.
 

When she reached me, I gave her my own assessing once-over, and a smile broke across her face, spreading a fan of fine lines out from the corners of her eyes and across her cheek bones. "Ah, the one who has caused all the trouble. We meet at last, as they say."
 

She snapped her fingers and the young woman came forward, a curvy blonde about my height with bright blue eyes. She handed Falcon's inter-D scanner to Mistress Raevinne. "We have brought what you requested as well as myself and my granddaughter to assist."

I didn't think Cooper could look any more surprised than he already did, but he managed it. He took a few steps closer. "Mistress, we're honored." And to my amazement, he bowed again.

"Seriously?"

Cooper shook his head at me. I shook mine right back and then looked down at the practitioner everyone seemed to be so in awe of. "I don't know how much help you can be. Ma'am," I added when Cooper turned pale. "But, um, thank you for coming. We'll take it from here." I held out my hand for the scanner.
 

I could feel the collective shock from the people around me and the sudden tension of the three bruisers standing behind the blonde. Then Mistress Raevinne handed me the scanner and everyone seemed to breathe again. "Your pride is strong," she observed. "Not necessarily a good thing, no?"

She faced the bruisers behind her. "My daughter has sent your Alpha what was promised."

Relief flickered over their faces. "Until we have need of each other again," the biggest one said as he bowed. His companions added their kowtowing to the mix, and then they all turned and tramped off into the woods.
 

The ancient practitioner lifted her cane and pointed at the crowd that had gathered. "Assist me," she commanded, and two males broke away, trailing behind her as she and the blonde trudged for the steep stairs of the stronghold. When they reached them, the Weres stooped down and locked their arms together, forming a chair.