Spellbound (Spellbringers Book 1) (38 page)

“I’m fine, Abe. I promise. Please,
make sure the others are okay. Besides this tiny little cut, I’m
not hurt at all.”

“Rachel, that’s not a tiny cut,” Jace
said, moving my hand up to his lips and kissing my palm.

Abe performed cursory inspections of
our injuries, and then with a few final instructions for the
Warriors, directed us to the parking lot. Alisa grabbed my phone
from the ladies room while Bryce quickly gathered up our tennis
equipment and water bottles. We finally returned to the steaming
hot cars, eager to leave.

Back at Jace’s house, we were
scrutinized by Jerica. Abe set up a triage, healing injuries one by
one, while asking us for every single detail about the Demon
attack. We took turns filling Abe and Jerica in. Jerica took notes
and sometimes asked for clarification, presumably for the report
she’d eventually file regarding the incident. I told Jerica and Abe
about Re’Vel’s fury when he discovered he couldn’t Transport with
me, and his accusations that my father worked for Nevare. At the
mention of the blond demon’s name, Jerica’s eyes widened with
fear.

While we talked, I watched in
fascination as the bruises on Alisa’s throat faded away at Abe’s
touch. Abe murmured spells and the gash on Jace’s cheek mended
almost instantaneously. The blisters on Bryce’s arm diminished and
disappeared. When Jace, Bryce, and Alisa were patched up, Abe sat
next to me on the sofa.

“Rachel, I can’t heal your
cut.”

“Okay. Why?” I didn’t expect him to
heal me, but I was curious about his reasoning.

“I’m a little worried about the blade
the Demon used to cut you. I’d bet my life he used a magic-laced
dagger, and if he did, any spell I use to heal you might do more
harm than good.”

“How can we know for sure?” Jerica
asked.

“We can’t,” Abe replied. “But this
will heal on its own, Rachel. We’ll just treat it like a normal
cut, watch for infection, keep it clean…that’s all we can
do.”

Jace cut in on the conversation. “What
difference does it make if the blade was magical?”

“I don’t know for sure, but some
blades are infused with properties which enable them to collect
blood. If he used the kind of dagger I suspect, it collected her
blood like a syringe. Not just a little bit of blood like you would
expect to find if the Demon had used an ordinary knife, but a
sizable amount, preserved until the time he needs it.”

“Why would he need her blood?” Jace
asked.

“For a binding spell,” Abe replied.
“It’s obvious Re’Vel didn’t want to hurt Rachel. That’s not why he
cut her. I believe he took her blood for a reason. If Nevare also
has a claim to Rachel—and it seems like this is true based on
Re’Vel’s inability to Transport with her—then I’ll bet Re’Vel is
going to perform a spell to try to reinforce his claim.”

Okay, so now it all made sense. Well,
at least the part about Re’Vel not being able to Transport with me.
Re’Vel had been furious when he discovered I couldn’t Transport
with him. It was proof that he didn’t have sole claim on me. When
Re’Vel and Nevare argued in my dreams, Nevare claimed me, but
Re’Vel must not have believed him. Either that, or he thought his
claim took precedent. It was devastating to consider that my father
gave me away so easily—just like he gave away Jeffrey’s
magic.

“Is there anything we can do to keep
Re’Vel from forming a binding spell with Rachel?” Jace
asked.

“No,” Abe said. “There
isn’t.”

“So what do we do?” Jace
asked.

Abe and Jerica exchanged a look. “We
keep Rachel safe,” Abe said. “Until she’s ready to let us employ a
Protector, we take turns watching out for her.”

“If you need to go anywhere, just call
me,” Jace said.

Jerica spoke up. “I don’t think Re’Vel
will try to harm you, Rachel, but there are other dangers. There
are other Demons and, of course, Hunters are a constant threat.
Your best defense against Re’Vel is learning to protect your mind
against his attempts at Persuasion.”

“I’ll make my magical security a
full-time priority this summer, Jerica,” I promised.

“I know you will, sweetie,” she said,
patting my hand.

Bryce leaned forward and put his head
in his hands. “Rachel, I’m so sorry. I never should have left you
alone.”

“It’s okay. It wasn’t your
responsibility,” I said, looking down at my folded hands in my lap.
“Abe and Jerica have warned me a million times about being careful.
I should have known better.”

“Blame doesn’t help anyone,” Abe said.
“Going forward, we’ll all be more vigilant. I’m proud of all of
you. You kept your heads and handled yourselves remarkably well.
All four of you.” Abe squeezed my shoulder and then stood up. “You
need help making your report?” he asked Jerica.

“Yes, please. I expect to hear from
Quinn and Craig any moment, and then I’ll call Central…” Jerica’s
voice trailed away as they left the room. I was pretty sure they
wanted to discuss the matter and speculate outside of our
hearing.

“Rachel,” Bryce said, moving to sit
next to me on the sofa now that Abe had vacated his spot. “I really
do feel like an ass. I was so self-absorbed, I barely heard you
when you said you were going to take a detour.”

“Stop apologizing,” I replied.
“Seriously, all three of you saved my life. Re’Vel said he’d been
following me for days. He would have caught up with me eventually.
In a way, I’m probably lucky. At least you and Jace were with me. I
screamed out to Jace across our link, and he was there thirty
seconds later.”

“I was already on my way over to look
for you,” Jace said.

“You always look out for me,” I said.
And then, not caring if the whole world was watching, I moved
closer to him and pressed my lips to his. My hands moved from his
rock hard chest to his shoulders. I wrapped my arms around his neck
and deepened the kiss.

“I should rescue you more often,” Jace
murmured when we finally broke apart.

“You should get a room,” Bryce
said.

“Oh, look who’s talking,” Jace
replied.

Bryce had moved to the loveseat with
Alisa. One hand was on her knee, the other was around her shoulder.
They were both completely content. And for the first time in a long
time, so was I.

My identity, my father’s past, my
doubts about my magic—none of it mattered right now. With Jace, I
could face anything: my lingering doubts about my magic, my crooked
family tree, the mystery surrounding my father, and the Demon who
wouldn’t leave me in peace. With Jace, I could remain steady amidst
the shifting sands of my constantly changing life. He was my true
love, my protector, my destiny.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Alisa

Long after the sun had set, after a round of
endless explanations, after Jerica made her lengthy report to
Central, Bryce and I sat outside on the porch swing, our bodies so
close, our legs were stuck together from the humidity. The late
night breeze carried the smell of hydrangeas and offered some
relief from the stifling heat.

“You’re very quiet. Are you sure you’re okay?”
Bryce asked, nudging me softly.

“I’m fine. What about you? I don’t know what I
would have done if…” I trailed off, embarrassed. “I’m just glad
you’re okay. I don’t ever want to lose you,” I
whispered.

“You won’t,” he said. He kissed me gently. I
snuggled closer to him, not caring about the humidity, or the
mosquitoes biting my ankles. My thoughts kept returning to the
park. I’d nearly lost the only man I could ever love. And I’d
nearly lost my best friend.

“
What’s going to happen to
Rachel?” I asked. “That Demon is going to keep coming back for her,
and what if he catches her alone the next time?”

“She won’t be alone. You heard my parents. She
needs constant protection,” he said.

“Why does Re’Vel want her so
badly?”

“He wants to take her for a Mate.”

“That’s disgusting,” I blurted.

“What is? Mating? It might be fun. We could
try it.” His hand moved to my thigh and I slapped it
away.

“No. I can’t imagine anyone mating with a
Demon,” I said, shuddering. “Wait. If Hunters are half-Demons, is
that what Re’Vel wants her for? To create more Hunters?”

“Hunters are created when the Spellbringer’s
magic isn’t strong enough. Rachel is an Nkaribo. One of the
strongest of her bloodline. She can create a true half-Demon, or so
Re’Vel hopes.” Bryce put his arm around me and pulled me closer.
“Now, about mating…”

“Stop that,” I laughed, pushing his wandering
hand away. “Is that all you can think about?”

“It is when I’m with you. Don’t you think
about it?” he asked.

My face burned with embarrassment and I was
grateful for the darkness, otherwise Bryce would have seen the dark
blush spreading over my cheeks. “We haven’t been together that
long. I don’t want to move too fast.”

“I’m not going to push you, Alisa. I’ll wait
as long as you want me to.”

“But your parents…” I said, remembering the
time not so long ago that Jerica seemed upset to see Jace holding
my wrist. I felt reluctant to explain this to Bryce, uncomfortable
at the idea of openly acknowledging the huge crush I’d once had on
my boyfriend’s brother. “I don’t think your mom approves of you
speaking the Claiming Words to me.”

“She approves of you—she just thinks we’re too
young to make a commitment. She knew you were meant for me the very
first day she met you. She has the gift of Prediction. That’s why
she told you our family’s secrets,” he said.

“Then why was she crying when she saw the
ties?”

“Because once the Claiming Words are spoken,
it sets events in motion. It will be impossible for me to stay away
from you,” he admitted.

“Then why did you do it?”

“Because my soul was already bound to yours.
The words just made it official,” he said. “I don’t regret it. I
love you.”

“I love you too,” I said.

He leaned over and kissed my cheek. He
whispered in my ear, and this time, the words pulled me in, wrapped
around my soul. This time, I knew what he was saying. This time, my
soul called out to his, and somewhere deep inside myself, I made my
own claim. “I’ll never stop loving you.”

“Promise?” he asked.

At last, I spoke my own Claiming Words—the
human version, the only words I knew. “I promise.” I looked up and
saw my future in his eyes. Once again, I saw the ties. But now they
went both ways. Now I was ready for whatever my future might bring,
as long as Bryce was a part of it.

Continued in Book Two:
Firebound

The
Spellbringers Series Continues…

Book Two:
Firebound

Rachel's thirst for knowledge about
the family she never knew drives her to keep a secret from the
Alexanders that shatters Jace's trust in her. With her renewed
dream-relationship with Re'Vel, she walks a razor's edge, putting
the entire Alexander family—and Alisa—in terrible
danger.

Alisa and Bryce are more in love than
ever, but his jealousy and possessiveness threaten to push Alisa
away. With his Claiming Words ringing in Alisa's ears, she tries to
reconcile her sense of independence with her desperate yearning for
Bryce.

A dark enemy from the Alexanders past
is out for vengeance and uses Rachel as his target to get to the
family he despises. When Alisa is caught in the crossfire, Bryce is
willing to sacrifice anything to save her—even his own
soul.

***

Want to learn more about
the Spellbringers series? Visit the
Official Spellbringers Website
for character profiles, excerpts, and more!

Glossary of
Terms

Binding spell
– A spell meant to bind one’s magic to another.
Reversible. Strength depends upon the Spellbringer or Demon
performing the spell. Can also depend upon the use of strengthening
agents (blood, lock of hair, etc)

Blood Bond
– An ancient spell invoked between two blood
relatives. Often used by the patriarch of the family to partially
claim the magic of his relatives in order to provide protection. A
Blood Bond can also be formed if a significant amount of blood is
consumed. This sort of bond is not a magical contract, but it does
create a lasting connection.

Blue-fire
– A cold, blue fire that burns into ice instead
of ash. Usually associated with dark magic.

Central
– Central Headquarters. Houses the administrative
and training facilities for Spellbringers all over the
world.

Claiming spell
– A spell used to claim another’s magic. This
spell is often performed by a parent to mask a child’s magic until
the child is old enough to train. Historically, Shifters granted
Demons the right to claim their children’s magic. A claiming spell
was used to perform this magical contract.