Under Her Spell (Arcane Assist #3)

Chapter One

Lana Darling was a nervous wreck.

That was something that rarely ever happened. In fact, she usually prided herself on the way she could maintain her composure during even the worst of times.

Today was different.

Maybe that was what happened when you wanted something too much.

Nerves meant more than mere anxiety. It was the body’s way of confirming that the stakes had become real enough to feel.

Every flutter in her chest, every restless thought, even the slight tremble in her hands, was a reminder of how much she stood to gain.

And how much she could lose.

Lana usually kept herself carefully neutral, even apathetic. She never liked to show her true feelings about anything. Part of that was due to how she’d been raised, but another was purely a survival instinct. Because wanting something was the fastest way to end up with a weakness.

And that was something she wouldn’t allow.

Wanting something, especially something she truly cared about, stripped away the illusion of control, leaving her exposed.

It made hope feel more tenuous, almost fragile, as if even thinking too hard might cause it to shatter and slip through her fingers.

And yet, beneath the unease, there was a stubborn, unyielding certainty that some things were worth the risk, no matter the cost.

As she stood outside the main public library in Mystic, Colorado, the city felt too loud, too bright, too normal for what waited beyond the doors.

The library was a huge structure made of dark stone and shadows, with towering spires that reached for the sky and colorful stained-glass windows that refracted the light.

The gothic giant could have been mistaken for an old cathedral if not for the carved plaque above the doors designating it a city staple.

It was one of the oldest buildings in Mystic, a protected landmark the city loved to brag about. They’d recently gutted and modernized most of the interior, but the exterior facade remained the same, preserving the majestic beauty of a time long past.

The building’s blend of old-world grandeur and discreet modern comforts made it the ideal front for the Supernatural Council’s presence within the Human Realm.

To the public, it was nothing more than a historic landmark.

But in truth, it was the heavily warded location that housed the portal leading to the Council’s true seat of power.

The real location of the Supernatural Council headquarters existed beyond basic geography, concealed behind layers of magic and secrecy.

Its whereabouts were only known by a select few.

The headquarters was carefully guarded as one of the council’s most closely held secrets, and utterly inaccessible to outsiders who lacked both the authority and permission to visit.

Taking a deep breath, her fingers tightened around the strap of her satchel until the leather bit into her palm.

That visible show of nerves was simply unacceptable.

She needed to get her emotions under control before she walked into the building because she was sure her every move would be scrutinized once she was inside.

Panic wasn’t an indulgence she could afford at the moment.

She was wearing a camel-colored cashmere coat over her well-tailored dark suit, black leather gloves, and high-heeled boots that added a few inches to her petite stature.

Her pale blonde hair had been styled into an elegant chignon, and she had artfully applied her makeup to make herself look a few years older.

For a first-year magical academy student at Trifecta University, getting an audience with the Supernatural Council was almost unimaginable.

Especially for a novice still learning the fundamentals of magic.

Even the most influential and powerful supernaturals struggled to secure a meeting with the entity that governed the supernatural community within the Human Realm.

However, there was always an exception to the rule when it came to power.

Only, this time it wasn’t due to her family’s wealth or prestige.

The Supernatural Council was making an exception by granting Lana an audience because they were interested in her unique ability.

Not only that, they were interested in the thesis she wrote about how it could be used.

To the council, she wasn’t just a student seeking approval.

She was a potential weapon. A variable they didn’t yet understand, and that made her dangerous, fascinating, and worthy of their time.

Because in the supernatural community and the human world, the most lucrative commodity was the same for both…secrets.

And Lana’s unique gift gave her the power to expose them all.

Born to a life of wealth and privilege, Lana seemed to have everything anyone could ever want.

From the outside, her existence was a glittering display of endless affluence, glamorous appearances, and unlimited resources.

At least, that was the story most people believed.

The one that spread over social media and was whispered about with envy at galas and charity events.

But the truth was her life was a carefully constructed web of lies.

Beneath the sophisticated polish was a reality meticulously engineered from half-truths, omissions, and artful deceit designed to hide her family’s unique gifts.

Her father, Lord Theodore Darling, was one of the most influential members of Parliament.

While much of the public dismissed his success as little more than inherited privilege, those within the inner circles understood he was far more than a figurehead handed power by circumstance.

Behind closed doors, he was regarded as one of the most influential men in any room.

A true strategist capable of steering major policies, controlling political outcomes, and ending careers with a single calculated decision.

The power he wielded was more elusive than mere intellect and wealth.

His demon heritage made him more powerful than the majority of his peers.

But it was his family’s inherited gift that truly made him formidable.

The Darling family legacy wasn’t as charming as it sounded.

With the slightest touch, he could delve beneath every carefully guarded layer a person possessed and uncover the deepest, darkest secrets they had buried within them.

He used those secrets to cultivate a vast network of powerful allies, including politicians, business magnates, media executives, and other influential figures who understood the value of staying in his good graces.

Information was currency in his world, and he possessed more of it than anyone realized.

With carefully timed favors, quiet threats, and strategic revelations, he had built relationships that granted him influence far beyond what the public could see.

Since his wife, Charlotte, was the editor of an important fashion magazine, Theodore’s network had seamlessly expanded beyond his own circle and into hers.

While they were not true mates, theirs was said to be a love match of childhood sweethearts.

That may have been true once, but Lana had witnessed enough of their infidelities to understand their relationship had become nothing more than a mutually beneficial business arrangement.

Despite the truth of their relationship, her parents liked to pretend they had the perfect family. That story played well in interviews and looked glamorous in glossy pictures spread over social media. But Lana had grown up in a different reality, and the truth was hardly that clean.

It had been an unexpected blessing for them to ship her off to boarding school as soon as she was old enough.

While other rich kids had lamented their fates, she had enjoyed the freedom that came with living away from her parents.

She admitted that she enjoyed the privileges that came with being the only Darling heir.

But their expectations could be daunting, especially when it came to using her gifts.

Because power acquired that way always came at a cost.

And for every ally gained, there was an enemy waiting to see them fall.

Over the years, the Darling family had convinced themselves that their actions served a greater purpose.

They had intervened in political conflicts, corporate battles, and private affairs, believing that the right people needed to remain in power and the wrong ones needed to be stopped.

Sometimes their interference prevented disasters before they unfolded.

Other times, it simply ensured the outcome benefited them in some way.

But the line between self-interest and altruism had blurred over time.

Besides manipulating events, the information Theodore acquired made him extraordinarily wealthy.

In the modern age, secrets were even more lucrative than true skill.

He knew where to invest before markets shifted, what scandals would erupt before headlines exposed them, and which rising figures were destined to become untouchable.

He leveraged secrets the way others leveraged money, trading information for influence, protection, and control.

Entire careers had risen or collapsed because of whispers he chose to release… or bury.

His ability had one fatal flaw, though.

It didn’t work on supernaturals.

Because of that limitation, the Darling family had chosen to remain in the Human Realm for centuries, where their gift could be used to its fullest advantage.

There, they had flourished, amassing wealth, influence, and power by uncovering the hidden truths others would have done anything to protect.

Their legacy had been built on secrets, and mortals always provided an endless supply of them.

However, Lana was different.

Perhaps it was the combination of demon and witch blood running through her veins that made her stronger than the rest of her family.

Whatever the reason, her gift had evolved into something far more powerful, far more dangerous, than anything the Darlings had possessed before.

Besides reading humans, she could uncover the secrets of even the strongest supernaturals if she had skin-to-skin contact with them long enough.

Which was why she’d kept it a secret…until now.

“Hey, kid. You planning on going inside or you just going to stand there admiring the building all day?”

The low, resonant voice that spoke from directly behind her made her jolt in surprise.

It was too close to have snuck up on her by normal means without her noticing his approach, which meant he had to be supernatural.

She slowly turned and felt her apprehension melt away enough for her to send him a genuine smile when she recognized the glowing silver eyes staring back at her.

Lana had recently met Kingston Spencer after her fairy friend, Starla, had gotten a part-time job at his mate’s bakery. He’d been a powerful demon before he mated Autumn, the newly appointed Goddess of Revenge. But now, they were a formidable couple that few would dare to cross.

Kingston was a big male, with impressively wide shoulders that stretched the material of his jacket declaring him a member of the Mystic Fire Department.

Although he still helped out at the fire station where he used to work, most of his time was now spent helping his mate with what they liked to call their revenge projects.

Although she had only met them a handful of times, Lana had grown genuinely fond of the mated pair.

For all their immense power and elevated status, Kingston and Autumn were remarkably approachable.

They were friendly, grounded, and refreshingly unpretentious, which was a rarity amongst the gods.

The ease with which the bakery staff and the other firefighters interacted with them said more than words ever could.

It was obvious the couple hadn’t let their magical ascension change who they were at their core.

“Hi, Kingston. Fancy meeting you here.”

“Actually, I’m here for you.”

She raised a brow at that. “That’s unexpected.”

“Not really. I’m here for your meeting with the council as one of the representatives from the Hell Realm.”

“Oh, I had no idea you were a councilmember.”

In a way, it made perfect sense that he served on the council.

Few people commanded the same level of respect in both the supernatural and human communities as he did.

Still, she found it difficult to picture him willingly tying himself to an organization that had once accused and convicted him of a crime he hadn’t committed.

He grinned wryly. “Let’s just say, sitting on the council is the perfect way to change the enemy from within. It’s not exactly something I like to spread around since some people get weirded out by the title.”

That made her laugh even as she mentally cringed at the way the god had been able to read her thoughts. She had to remind herself to be more guarded around the gods since they were always catching stray thoughts of the people around them. She couldn’t even imagine how annoying that was for them.

Chuckling, he said, “You have no idea. Anyway, glad I caught you before you went inside. You’re early.”

“Punctuality is one of life’s essentials,” she quipped.

“I wish more people thought that way.”

“It’s a basic tenet of boarding school upbringing. If you’re on time, you’re late,” she retorted dryly.

Kingston snorted out a laugh. “Since you aren’t meeting with the full council, there has been a change of venue.”

That was news to her. “I’m not meeting with the full council?”

“The full council only convenes when there is a problem between the realms or when there is an issue that could disturb relations between the supernatural and human communities. It’s a new policy we put in place because most of us freaking hate meetings.”

“Ah.” She couldn’t blame them for that.

“We decided to meet somewhere less formal today. Trust me, anywhere is better than the council room. Have you ever been?”

She shook her head.

“You aren’t missing much. The place is completely sterile and white.

I always feel like I’m going snow blind in there.

I’m trying to avoid the place as much as possible until the renovations are complete.

You’ll only be meeting with one representative from each of the realms today, so it shouldn’t be as stressful.

I volunteered to come get you. Ready to go? ”

Without waiting for her reply, Kingston teleported them away from the library and toward the meeting that had the potential to change the rest of her life.