Chapter 33 #2
They were both Magicians, both beautiful, though not as frail looking as many of them. Maybe Doran had a taste for the delicate men. Either that, or Jordan had recruited all the bigger, more robust of the species to this island for his guards.
I felt to see if either had drawn a ward to keep me with them. None. So they couldn’t hold me…
I yanked the clear wiring from the radios in their vests before they’d even realized I had moved—and ran.
I could hear them yelling and arguing back and forth with each other, but I kept running in the direction Jordan had gone.
I didn’t know where Sector Two was, but I was betting that Mister Efficient had taken the most direct path.
Even running, his trail wasn’t too difficult to follow.
All I needed was a bent branch here, a disturbed bit of ground there. And his smell. Mostly his smell.
Once in the open at the edge of town, I lost his trail, but opened my mind to feel for others.
Not far off to the south I felt the emotions and presence of several beings.
Rounding the back of a small cottage, I saw Jordan just making it to the scene.
I came up behind him quietly. One of his guards was bending over the body on the ground, holding the Witch, and when he looked up at Jordan, I saw the heat of anger and repressed tears in his eyes.
A second guard stood from his squatting position next to the distraught man. “Allen,” Jordon said with all his authority. “You have to let go of her.”
The second man looked past Jordan to me. “He was her only consort.” Jordan followed his gaze and grumbled at me then turned back to Allen, who was still holding the remains of his lover.
Jordan lowered his voice but didn’t take the command out of it. “Allen, release her.”
He started to say something else but I passed him and stood behind the guard, placing my hand on his shoulder.
He looked from me to the body and then reluctantly let her go, gently placing her on the ground before standing and taking my hand.
I walked him away from the others and pulled him into a hug.
He dropped his gun, and it clattered at my feet.
Falling against me, the young man wrapped his arms around my waist and let his head drop to my shoulder.
He was heavy, but not enough to knock me off balance.
His pent-up tears quickly roared into loud, hard sobs.
I heard the other guard informing Jordan who the Witch was, and explaining that she and Allen had been together for four years. Fortunately, Allen couldn’t hear through his sobs. I ran my hands up and down his back as he cried, not offering any words. Nothing I could say was going to help.
Jordan shook his head and looked back toward us.
I saw him stiffen at the sight of the man in my arms, but he went back to business without a word.
I felt the horrible pain in the Magician’s cries.
He had obviously loved the Witch deeply.
I couldn’t help but think of Tynan. Would he have felt this kind of grief had I died on Thule?
The thought made me even more relieved that I’d had a chance to let him go.
I was lucky, he was lucky, and a twist of fate turned a disaster into an opportunity.
An older Witch approached from behind. Allen was still weeping softly on my shoulder.
She gave me a meek smile and put her hand on Allen’s shoulder.
He turned to her and his sobs slowed even more.
She took his hand and led him away, giving me another meek smile and mouthing the words “thank you” as she left.
I watched them until they rounded a corner and moved out of sight.
I stared for a moment at the corner of the cottage they had gone around and anger flowed over me.
Had that poor Witch been killed because of me?
I tromped over to Jordan, determined to help any way I could.
That man’s grief would not go unavenged, I promised myself.
I grew madder with each step, hands fisting until my nails were drawing blood.
Jordan was leaning over the body, trying to undo her shirt so he could look at the wound in her shoulder.
She was a tiny woman. Really much smaller than me. “She was only thirty-five,” one of the other guards reported to Jordan.
He hadn’t noticed me yet. His mind was intent. “A mere babe,” he replied. I started to refute the statement since she was actually five years older than me, but I held my tongue.
Unfortunately, that was when my gaze found the top of her torso—and the pool of dark red blood just under the stump that was once her neck. Her lover had held her so tightly I hadn’t noticed. Muscles and bones that were never intended to see light glistened in the moonbeams.
I looked down to see some of the blood that had transferred to the guard now stained my leather top. I felt my knees go weak.
Needing to move, I followed the thick trail of blood across a patch of glossy grass that had the same eerie red and found the missing part of the Witch.
Her face permanently etched in a silent scream, her eyes glazed with terror.
Another large pool of blood had soaked into her blond hair, making the strands look like angry serpents.
I had to put my hand out to steady myself. Jordan had appeared beside me and I found his shoulder without looking away from the silent scream. He put his hand on mine and squeezed. I looked away from her face to his. He had that soft look I was learning to crave.
My stomach lurched and I turned and ran to the spot I had held Allen. I fell to my knees and let my stomach go. I hurled until there was nothing but bile. Jordan held my hair away from my face and rubbed my back, not saying a word. I tried to remind myself to thank him for that later.
Cliona came out of the woods and rushed to me. Jordan helped me up and pushed me into her embrace. She felt every bit as strong as he did. “Take her home.” His tone was soft. I looked at him. He touched my cheek. “Go on. I’ll take care of her, Keena. Go home.”