Chapter23 #4
“You can stay with us if you want. We’re currently two mages at Cedarwood.
” I smiled at the thought of Levi, babbling and nervous and oh so kind.
He’d be a great friend for Callum. “Maybe you could help me teach Levi. He only found out that he’s a mage a couple of weeks ago.
” I shrugged. “Or you can heal at Cedarwood and leave. Your decision.”
There was a spark in his eyes. Just for a moment, but I’d seen the hope. The longing.
“How do I know you’re telling the truth?”
“You don’t,” I said, nodding at his collar. At his equally raw and bruised wrists. “But it’s your best option.”
Callum bit his lip. His eyes darted from me to Heath and Angelo, then back to me.
“What about the collar?”
“We’re leaving it here.”
“Nix, that’s a risky…”
“It. Stays. Here,” I said, emphasizing each word. I couldn’t let him wear it a second longer. How was he supposed to trust us if we didn’t show him even an ounce of trust first? How was he supposed to believe we were going to free him if we didn’t actually liberate his magic?
“Okay.” Callum nodded. “If you take off the collar, I’m coming with you.”
I nodded.
Rage filled my chest, and my muscles tensed as pain sliced through my shoulder.
I couldn’t help the pained grunt that came from my lips, couldn’t stop my hand from reaching for my shoulder, couldn’t help the magic that desperately tried healing a wound that wasn’t there.
“It feels like a fucking scalpel,” I wheezed, reaching for Angelo.
He eyed me with concern, his lips twitching.
“I’m good,” I said after a second, nodding at Callum. “Help him. Get the collar off. We need to go. It won’t be long.”
Gray’s wolf had taken over, his fury echoing through my chest, a chant of maim and kill projecting through the bond.
Angelo nodded, eyes focused on Callum.
“I’m going to take the collar off, okay?”
Callum nodded, eyes full of hesitation, but his lips were set in a firm line. He was stronger than I’d been, stronger than Heath had given him credit for. He was afraid, but he wasn’t letting it hold him back.
“I’m going to grab the collar on both sides of your neck,” Angelo explained, hands still raised in front of him as he slowly walked over to Callum.
“I’ll rip it apart. It’s probably going to sound really awful, and it might rub against your skin, but I’m gonna get it off. I promise. Do not hurt me.”
Callum huffed, pointing at the collar. “I can’t.”
Angelo’s lips twitched. “Once the collar is off, you can. But please don’t.”
Callum gave a short nod, his eyes flashing with the realization that he would indeed be able to hurt us when the collar came off.
“Be prepared,” Heath whispered, his muscles tensing, aura swirling as Angelo came to a stop in front of Callum.
Huh. The mage was taller than he’d appeared to be at first, just a couple of inches shorter than Angelo.
“Ready?” Angelo asked, voice soft, head cocked, a warm smile on his face.
Callum blinked, biting his lip. Hesitation warred with hope—and hope won. He set his jaw and nodded, raising his chin to give Angelo more leeway.
Angelo grabbed the iron collar, his muscles bulging as he started pulling the metal apart. For a couple of seconds nothing happened, then his arms opened wide, the collar creaking.
Callum gasped, hands flying to his throat, hitting the tender skin. A low sob tore out of his chest, eyes filling with tears. Of pain or joy, I couldn’t say.
Heath tensed even further, eyes darting from Angelo to Callum and back. Angelo threw the collar onto the bed, his nose crinkled in disgust.
“We need to go,” Heath barked.
Angelo nodded and turned around, stalking to the doorway.
Callum stood still, hands on his throat, pain dancing over his face as he prodded at the inflamed skin, his eyes on the bent collar on the bed, a tear running down his face, his aura swirling in anguish.
Fuck, it was so much brighter now. So much more him.
“Can I…” I started, carefully taking a step in his direction.
His eyes flickered to me, just for a moment, then they were back on the collar, his Adam’s apple bobbing rapidly.
“I can’t even remember ever not having one,” he whispered, fingers dancing over his inflamed throat, over the welts and redness. Beneath lay scars I hadn’t even noticed before. Evidence of a lifetime in captivity.
“I can heal you, if you want,” I said, but Callum shook his head.
“I just want to go,” he whispered, tears welling up in his eyes. “I need to step outside to know this is real. I can’t—” He shook his head, hand pressed against the length of his throat. “It feels surreal.”
Angelo nodded, extending his hand for Callum to grab. “It’s okay. Let’s get you out of here before anyone notices that the front door is missing.
“Hey,” Heath complained, tensing even more when Callum slipped his pale hand into Angelo’s dark one. “I pulled it outward. If anyone checks, it’ll look like someone kicked out the door from the inside. Same with this door. They’ll think the mage escaped on his own.”
I frowned, looking at the collar.
Heath pulled a face. “Yeah, I can’t explain that away, but no one can. Maybe the spell broke or… whatever. Let’s go. Can you pull up the shield again?”
I nodded, took a deep breath, and reached for my magic.
I created the shield on my skin, adding several layers, one to keep us hidden from view, another one to keep everything within the shield soundproof.
Then I slowly inflated the shield like a balloon until it surrounded us all.
Callum flinched when my magic washed over him, but his eyes were filled with wonder.
“What… what are you doing?”
“Hiding us,” I said.
“No time for explanations,” Heath reminded, nodding at the doorway. “Come on, let’s go.”
We jogged down the stairs, Heath at the front, Angelo and Callum in the middle, me in the back.
Callum’s movements were tense, a bit uncoordinated, and slower than I’d expected.
Then again, that fucking chain couldn’t have been more than six feet long, so there hadn’t been much room for movement.
Who knew how long that fucking chain had been so short for?
Who knew how long Callum hadn’t even been able to move freely within his room?
I sent out my magic, searching for auras, for people waiting for us, but… still none.
Heath snorted when we walked straight out the front door. “I never thought a curfew would ever work in my favour,” he commented, then unceremoniously started stripping on the snow-covered front lawn. “We’re gonna have to hurry.”
I grimaced, my legs already burning in anticipation of what was to come. We needed to run back.
Angelo looked at Callum, then at me, then back to Callum.
“Are you comfortable… uhm… riding me?”
Callum’s eyes went wide. “Am I… what?”
“Me carrying you?” Angelo elaborated. “On my back.”
“Oh… uhm…” Callum looked at me, his throat working, eyes wide as saucers. “Yes?”
I nodded.
Howls rang out through the night, and the next second pain shot through my side, but there was a grim satisfaction echoing through my chest, a triumphant smile pulling at my mouth.
“He’s winning,” I said, relief making me dizzy. “It’s almost over.”
Angelo nodded, hands reaching for his sweatpants. “Let’s get going, then.”
Seconds later, human Angelo was gone, and Angelo’s lion cocked his head at a wide-eyed Callum.
“That’s… that’s… but…” he whispered, and I chuckled.
“A lion,” I confirmed.
“But he…” Callum’s eyes darted to Heath.
“Is a wolf.”
“But… you said they’re from the same pack!”
I smiled, affection blooming in my chest, and I reached out, placing my hand on Callum’s shoulder, squeezing lightly. “Welcome to Cedarwood. Safe haven for shifters and mages alike.”