Chapter 34
Thirty-Four
VAUGHN
If I could, I’d have spent the entire night with Sophie again, but I couldn’t simply not go home. I needed to check in, see if Lucca and the gang were back from Ellnesari. I felt bad that I hadn’t thought much about them since I met Sophie.
The only person happy to see me go was Tish. I don’t know where she was while Sophie and I were busy in the bedroom, but when we walked out, she gave us both the stink eye. Too bad for her, I’m coming back.
I’ve been restless the entire time I’ve been away from her. I could barely sleep during the day, and as soon as the sun sets, I’m ready to leave.
I’m about to walk out of the house when I hear a commotion outside. Gerard runs down the hallway—a first for him. He’s always so proper. “Did I just hear Master Lucca’s voice?”
“I think so.”
I step outside, and sure as shit, there they are. Relief washes over me.
“You’re back!” I smile from ear to ear, but then I notice their expressions don’t match my own. “What happened?”
“There’s much to discuss. Let’s all head inside and cool off. We can’t rush into things,” Lucca says, but he’s not talking to me.
“You go ahead and discuss all you want. I have to report back to Isadora,” Solomon states. Then he looks at Miranda. “You should head home, sweetheart. Your mother is worried about you.”
She didn’t seem that worried, but I obviously don’t say anything.
“I will in a moment.” She glances at Rikkon. “I’ll come back as soon as I can.”
“Wait. You don’t want me to come with you?” he asks in a panicked voice.
Her eyes grow larger. “I didn’t think you’d want to.”
He holds her face between his hands. “What did I tell you before? Gum on the bottom of a shoe.”
It seems the love bug is everywhere. I look around, and that’s when I notice Manu and Cheryl are missing, and Karl looks pitiful.
Before I can ask where they are, Karl tells Ronan, “Go after my sister. Make sure she stays out of trouble.”
His blue eyes widen. “Are you sure that’s what you want?”
“It’s not what I want, but it’s high time you start taking responsibility for your actions.”
What actions? Jesus, what don’t I know?
Ronan clenches his jaw, and his eyes flash crimson for a second. “As usual, you’re talking out of your ass.”
I think they’re about to come to blows, and that won’t be pretty. Mercifully, Lucca steps between them. “Enough!”
His intervention seems to snap Ronan out of his rage, and his gaze turns from murderous to guilty.
“I’ll go after your sister, Karl. But you’re wrong if you think I don’t care about her.”
I’m going out of mind, keeping my mouth shut. I have so many questions, but I know now is not the time to ask them. The tension in the room is palpable, and I don’t want to become their punching bag. Lucca is burning a hole in the living room floor by pacing back and forth.
Vivi is sitting next to Aurora on the couch opposite Karl while I stand next to Saxon. I’m too on edge to sit down. It’s been an hour since they returned from Ellnesari without Manu, who chose to stay behind.
We haven’t heard from Cheryl or Ronan yet, and that’s another thing to worry about.
Apparently, Cheryl was furious that Manu stayed behind and took off God knows where.
I’m betting she went to see Jagger, which adds another set of worries to my plate.
They don’t know the mess I caused while they were gone.
“I can’t believe your brother didn’t stay to help,” Lucca mutters. “If he could bring us here, then I don’t see why he can’t open another portal into Ellnesari.”
“My father gave him the ability for one trip only. You know that.” Vivi rubs her temple as though she’s trying to get rid of a headache.
“That’s such BS. No offense, but the Nightingales are all a bunch of assholes even when they assist,” Saxon retorts.
“Sadly, I agree with you,” she says.
“How about you, Vivi?” Karl chimes in. “You have your powers back. Can’t you figure something out?”
Whoa. Vivi has her powers? That’s awesome, and a game changer.
She shakes her head. “No. My powers, like Rikkon’s, are limited. Even shutting off Ellnesari completely from the human realm took the combined effort of several royal houses.”
Aurora stands up suddenly. “There’s only one thing left to do, then. I must get the answer from my new coworkers.”
Saxon takes a step forward, tension emanating from him in waves. “Hell to the fucking no. I’m not ready to let you leave me to train with those warlocks yet.”
She puts her hands on her hips. “Hell to the fucking no?”
He rubs the back of his neck. “Eh, pretty please, don’t leave me yet?”
Her lips become nothing but a slash on her face, but her gaze is soft. She’s trying to stay mad at him, but it’s clear Saxon is her kryptonite.
Aurora finally shakes her head. “I’m sorry, Sax, but I don’t see any other option to find a way into Ellnesari now that the Taluah Mirror is gone.”
“Let’s not waste any more time, then,” Karl says. “Where do we find your warlock friends?”
From under her shirt, Aurora pulls out an amulet that depicts two snakes, symbolizing infinity.
“What is that?” Lucca squints.
“This is what Ryker gave me to use when I was ready to join the brethren,” Aurora replies.
“How does it work?” Vivi asks.
“I’m not sure. I haven’t used it yet.”
“No, but you can’t take it off either,” Saxon mutters under his breath.
Yikes, he sounds jealous of a piece of jewelry.
She glowers at him. “Sax, you’re acting like a child. I have to wear the necklace. What if I need to contact them out of the blue?”
He crosses his arms, pouting like the child his mate thinks he is. “And I maintain my opinion that those assholes are using that amulet to spy on you.”
“Can you shove your immaturity aside for one second and let her call for help?” Karl interjects. “In case you’ve forgotten, Manu is trapped in a fucked-up realm.”
“Bite me, wolf boy. For a familiar who forgot your duties for centuries, your sudden concern is mega sus.”
“Shut up, Saxon,” Lucca snaps. “You are delaying things. Go on, Aurora, call them.”
Saxon finally shuts up and lets Aurora work in peace. She furrows her brow and stares at the object in her hand until it begins to glow from within, a bright green light that shines over her face. She reminds me of Sophie when she held her crystal pendant in the catacombs.
Shit. I have to tell Sophie that Lucca is back, but not before I tell them about her. I just don’t think now is a good time to broach the subject.
Aurora’s eyes glow the same color as the amulet, and now she looks like the witch from The Wizard of Oz.
Magic pours from the object and spreads at a rapid pace around the room.
My skin tingles when the current touches my skin, setting my teeth on edge.
The sensation is similar to when we crossed the wards in the catacombs, but the magic Aurora is yielding feels heavier, and darker.
A gust of strong wind sweeps the room, making the girls’ hair dance wildly around their heads.
The magic reaches a crescendo, and then the whole room is enveloped in the green light coming from the amulet.
I close my eyes when the brightness turns blinding.
The summoning magic recedes, but something else takes its place.
When I open my eyes, there’s a tall man standing in front of the fireplace, wearing black from head to toe and an arrogant smirk.
Shit. It’s the same guy who helped Sophie and me escape the dragon shifters.
He glances briefly at me, raising the fine hairs at my nape.
Is he going to acknowledge that he knows me?
But he turns his attention to Aurora and says he’s been waiting for her call. I exhale in relief.
“Hello, Ryker,” she says.
He looks around the room, crinkling his forehead. “I take it you’ve gathered all your friends to bid you goodbye?”
“Rora is not going anywhere with you,” Saxon grits out.
Ryker glares at Aurora. “I specifically told you to only use that amulet when you were ready to start your training.”
“Well, I’m not quite ready to leave yet. There’s been an emergency, and I need your help.”
He lets out an exasperated sigh. “You didn’t even begin your apprenticeship, and you’re already abusing the power I gave you.”
“Yeah, yeah.” She waves her hand dismissively. “And who defeated Ashmedai when you couldn’t? This untrained warlock here and her mate.”
“Burn!” Saxon shouts.
I grimace. Dude, read the room.
Ryker pinches the bridge of his nose. “That’s what I get for dealing with children. What is the emergency?”
“My sister is stuck in Ellnesari, and we need to get her back,” Lucca replies.
“So it is true. You managed to cross into Ellnesari. We sensed a disturbance in the magic around Salem that felt a lot like a portal had been opened, but we didn’t think anyone had actually managed that. Let me guess. You used the Taluah Mirror to do it.”
“Yes, but the second time around, it blew into smithereens,” Aurora says.
“The second time around?” His eyebrows arch. “You mean to say you’ve done it twice?”
“Yes. The first time, a member of Queen Maewe’s court had the spell to open a portal using the mirror,” Vivi replies.
“What happened the second time?” the warlock asks.
Aurora drops her gaze to her lap, blushing furiously now. Saxon’s lips curl into a mischievous smile. And I feel secondhand embarrassment.
“Saxon and Aurora got carried away during their portion of the spell,” Karl replies. “Can you help or not?”
The warlock stares at Karl through slits for what feels like an eternity. “I cannot.”
Karl looks like he’s about to hurl. I’ve never seen him so distraught. I understand that he’s Manu’s familiar, but it seems to me there’s more to his reaction. That’s how I would react if Sophie were trapped in a place I couldn’t get to.
“So much for all your powers,” Saxon grumbles, earning Ryker’s glare.
“My magic only goes so far. To open a portal into Ellnesari, I need an amplifier, an object of power made by the Nightingales.”
Karl stands straighter. He opens his mouth to speak, but no sound comes forth. That’s bizarre to say the least.
“I need a piece of paper,” he grits out.
Saxon raises his eyebrows. “What for?”
“I… I’m unable to say it out loud. I have to try another way.”
Ryker stares at him, calculating. “What’s with you? I sense a block has been placed on your mind.”
He does the fish-out-of-water thing again with his mouth.
Aurora jumps to her feet. “Holy crap. I can feel that too.”
“What are you saying? Did someone put a silence spell on Karl?” Lucca asks.
He looks pained now. His face is turning purple. Ryker steps into Karl’s space and flattens his palm on his forehead. Karl yells in agony.
“What the fuck!” I blurt out.
“What are you doing to him?” Vivi asks.
“Lifting the spell put on him,” Ryker replies.
Karl makes a fist with his hands, closing his eyes. Whatever Ryker is doing to him looks excruciating. After a moment, the warlock steps back and Karl falls to his knees.
Vivi rushes to him and touches his back. “Are you okay?”
“Give him a minute, lass,” Ryker says.
Suddenly, Karl pushes Vivi away and throws up.
“For fuck’s sake. That rug is going to reek for weeks,” Saxon complains.
“I’m sorry about the rug,” Karl apologizes to Lucca, his voice rough.
He waves his hand dismissively. “Forget about that. Is the spell lifted?”
Karl nods. “Solomon has a miniature version of the Taluah Mirror.”
No one speaks for several beats, and then Saxon breaks the silence. “I guess that answers your question, Luc.”
Lucca’s face twists into a scowl. “That sneaky weasel. No wonder he was in a hurry to leave after we returned from Ellnesari.”
“Maybe he doesn’t have it anymore,” Karl says. “He let me use it before I became Manu’s familiar.”
Saxon rubs his chin. “Hmm, I’d bet a limb that he still has the mirror.”
“So, what do we do now?” I ask, unable to keep my mouth shut any longer.
Ryker’s eyes spark with maniac determination. “We have a little chat with your friend.”