Chapter 26
Karrick
It turned out that teleporting near the Emberwood Estate wasn’t an issue.
However, the three-mile hike through dark woods to get there was a bit unexpected.
But Elias was adamant that if we had teleported in any closer, it would’ve alerted their security.
And that was the last thing I wanted. I’d hike a thousand miles through the worst conditions imaginable if I had to.
Anything to get Phoenix back in my arms.
The forest was dense and shadowy, with branches clawing at us as we moved silently through the underbrush.
I kept my eyes on Elias’s back, following his lead as he navigated the winding path with practiced ease.
Every step forward was a step closer to Phoenix, and that thought alone kept me moving despite the gnawing anxiety in my gut.
“We’re getting close,” Elias whispered, pausing to check a small compass-like device that glowed faintly in his palm. “Another half mile and we’ll reach the edge of their property.”
I nodded, too focused to speak. My senses were on high alert, every sound and scent registering with crystal clarity.
The night air carried the faint smell of smoke and magic…
and a distinctly high-class cleanliness that made my nose hairs curl.
It made my hackles rise knowing that we were so close and I still couldn’t feel Phoenix.
I knew they’d done something to him, something magical to keep us apart.
Wild moved like a shadow beside us, occasionally disappearing completely only to reappear a few yards ahead.
It was almost like he could slip between the planes in an instant and slip back without a sound.
His fae magic made him nearly impossible to track, which would be crucial when we reached the wards.
Atlas and Caden flanked our group, their werewolf and dryad senses as sharp as mine, while Lila brought up the rear a fair distance back, her vampire speed making her the perfect lookout should someone try to sneak up on us.
“Remember,” Atlas murmured as we paused at a small clearing, “stick to the plan. Wild gets us through the outer wards, then Elias disables the inner ones. We find Phoenix, and we get out. No confrontations unless absolutely necessary.”
I growled low in my throat. “If his parents get in my way—”
“Then we deal with them,” Caden finished, his voice firm but understanding. “But our priority is Phoenix. Nothing else. This needs to be as covert as possible.”
He was right, of course, but it didn’t make it any easier to swallow my rage.
The thought of Phoenix’s parents, the people who were supposed to love and protect him, stealing him away just because he decided to date me filled me with an anger I could barely control.
I flexed my claws, cold fog forming around them as the magic I’d yet to learn to control kicked in.
I forced myself to take a deep breath, tamping my magic back down.
It was getting harder and harder to keep inside.
“I see it,” Elias whispered suddenly, pointing through a gap in the trees. “There.”
Suddenly the Emberwood Estate loomed ahead of us, a sprawling mansion of dark stone and gleaming windows.
It sat atop a small hill, surrounded by immaculately kept grounds.
From our vantage point in the forest, I could make out the shimmer of magical wards encircling the property like an invisible dome.
“Those are some serious protections,” Wild murmured, his eyes narrowing as he studied the magical barrier. “Multi-layered, old magic. Nasty stuff.”
“Can you get through them?” I asked, unable to keep the desperation from my voice.
Wild flashed me a grin that seemed to glow in the darkness. “Darling, I was breaking into places like this when your ancestors were still figuring out how to make fire. Just give me a minute.”
Wild approached the barrier with fluid grace, his hands moving in patterns I couldn’t follow.
His fingers traced invisible lines in the air, leaving faint trails of green light that faded almost instantly.
His eyes gleamed with an otherworldly focus as he worked, humming something under his breath that sounded like a lullaby but made my skin prickle.
“There,” he whispered after several tense minutes. “I’ve found a weakness. A tiny imperfection where two different ward spells meet.” He glanced back at us with a mischievous grin. “Like finding a loose thread on an expensive sweater—pull it just right, and the whole thing starts to unravel.”
He beckoned us closer, then pressed his palm against what looked like empty air. The space rippled like water, and a small opening appeared, barely large enough for one person to slip through at a time.
“Friends and those still under review, your doorway awaits,” Wild said with a theatrical bow. “But be quick. I can only hold it for about thirty seconds.”
Atlas went first, then Caden. I hesitated, looking at Wild.
“Will this alert anyone inside?” I asked.
“Not if you move quickly and don’t touch the edges,” Wild replied, strain showing in his face as he maintained the opening. “Now go!”
I ducked through, feeling a strange tingling sensation as I passed through the magical barrier. It was like walking through an electrified spiderweb, unpleasant, but not painful. On the other side, I found myself crouching behind a row of perfectly trimmed hedges at the edge of the property.
Elias came through next, followed by Wild, who collapsed against a tree trunk, breathing heavily.
“That was... harder than I expected,” he panted, wiping sweat from his brow. “Old magic. Very old.”
“You okay?” Elias asked, placing a concerned hand on Wild’s shoulder.
“Just need a minute,” Wild assured him. He glanced back at the wards. “Uh… I think I forgot your vampire friend.”
“Lila’s creating a distraction on the east side,” I whispered. “She won’t need to go through the wards with what she’s planning to do.”
As if on cue, a loud crash echoed from the far side of the estate, followed by shouts and the sound of an alarm blaring. Lights flashed on in that wing of the mansion, and I saw dark shapes moving quickly toward the commotion.
“That’s our cue,” Atlas said, his eyes gleaming gold in the darkness. “Let’s move.”
We crept across the lawn, staying low and using the topiary shrubs for cover.
My heart hammered in my chest, each beat a reminder of what was at stake.
I tried once more to feel for Phoenix through our bond, but there was nothing, just that same hollow emptiness that had been torturing me since he disappeared.
He had to be here, I was sure of it. But now that I couldn’t feel him even inside the wards…
I was beginning to wonder if we’d stepped into some sort of elaborate trap.
As we approached the house, Elias pulled out the scarf Lila had given us, Phoenix’s scarf with the little pumpkins on it, and began making motions in the air over top of it while chanting under his breath.
In an instant the scarf burst into a million tiny pieces, like a sudden cloud of smoke hovering in front of Elias.
Then they began to glow golden, each particle creating a thin thread of gold that drifted upward toward a window on the near side of the house.
“He’s here,” Elias whispered, assuaging my unspoken fears. “The thread is weak, but it’s found the target. He’s got to be up there.”
My heart hammered against my ribs as I followed the golden thread with my eyes, tracing its path to a second-floor window where it disappeared into the darkness beyond. Phoenix was there, so close I could almost taste his scent on the air, yet still completely cut off from me.
“Third window from the left,” I whispered, my voice rougher than I intended. The beast inside me was clawing to get out, demanding I tear through the walls with my bare hands if necessary.
“I can see movement in there,” Caden murmured, his dryad senses picking up things the rest of us couldn’t. “Two... no, three people. One of them feels different from the others… they’re… warm.”
“That’s him,” I said with absolute certainty. The others had to be his parents, probably preparing to do gods knows what to his mind. “That’s the flame that burns inside him. His magic is nearly all fire based.”
Wild had recovered enough to stand, though he still looked pale. “Getting into the house won’t be too difficult. Most of their magical security is focused on the perimeter. But once we’re inside...”
“We stick to the plan,” Atlas said firmly, though I could see the tension in his shoulders. “Elias, can you mask our magical signatures?”
Elias nodded, already pulling ingredients from his pack. “I can create a dampening field, but it won’t last long. Maybe ten minutes, fifteen if we’re lucky.”
I watched him work, my claws extending and retracting involuntarily as adrenaline flooded my system. Every second felt like an eternity. What if we were too late? What if they’d already started the memory modification? The thought made my vision blur with rage.
“Karrick,” Caden’s voice cut through my spiral. “You need to breathe. Your magic is starting to leak out.”
I looked down to see frost forming around my feet and small wildflowers sprouting between the perfectly manicured grass.
I forced myself to take a deep breath, pushing the magic back down.
I couldn’t afford to lose control now, not when Phoenix needed me.
But I wasn’t sure how much longer I could hold it back either.
“There,” Elias whispered as a shimmering veil settled over our group. “We’re hidden, but remember, no sudden movements, no loud noises, and whatever you do, don’t let your emotions spike. The dampening field is tied to our collective energy.”
The distant sounds of Lila’s distraction continued to draw attention away from our side of the house. I could hear shouting and what sounded like security golems being activated. Whatever she was doing, it was working.