Witch Unchained (Blackwood Supernatural Prison Book 2) Page 9

  "I know you have." She raises her hand when I open my mouth to argue. "But the trust has to be deeper than on the surface. You have to surrender to that magic, so it knows you have its back. No matter what."

  "How do I do that?"

  "Only the two of you know. But you said something else that surprised me."

  "What is it?"

  "You said when you were in the prison, you could see a tattoo no one else could."

  I glance down at the key tattoo still visible on my left hand. I haven't thought about it much. It's just part of me now.

  "What do you think that means?" I ask because she clearly has some idea.

  "I think it means that your magic is more attuned to the universe than it is to those around you."

  "I don't understand." I lean forward, completely fascinated. This is like my school lessons but better. Calista smiles at my eagerness before she continues.

  "There are various levels of magic, you know this. It doesn't matter what realm you come from. That's always the case. When a witch is more attuned to her world, her magic feeds off that and vice versa. Because of your connection, your magic is more powerful and so is your reach."

  "The power is what made me see the tattoo?"

  "Partially. The tattoo wanted to be seen because it's also magic. And it wanted your magic to recognize it."

  That seems... strange. But it also makes sense somehow.

  "How does it play into this?" I point to the bracelet. It sizzles a little against my skin, as if letting me know it's listening as well, finally waking up from whatever slumber it took.

  "That bracelet has powerful and ancient magic. It recognized your power even before you did."

  "So, I was basically the best battery it could've plugged itself into?"

  Calista chuckles at my visuals, stirring the fire once more. "Yes, and no. Magic is most powerful when it comes from the heart. So, it recognized your heart above all else."

  I let that sink in, thinking of all the ways that makes me feel. My whole life I wanted to earn a position of worthiness. I wanted to be looked at like someone who mattered because I wanted to do the job that mattered. But here I've been given exactly that, without ever truly realizing it.

  "What do I do now?" I finally ask because I truly have no idea.

  "Now you learn how to harness it so that you can use it to find the others."

  "Do you think the king could really use the relics?" I'm thinking about what she said about the heart. The king has no heart, all he wants is power.

  "Yes. Because magic can be tricked too. I've seen it happen."

  There's more to that story, I can see that in her eyes. But now is not the time to ask. Instead, I watch the fire for a few moments, trying to figure out my next move. Calista does carry a lot of wisdom within her. It would be helpful to glean as much as I can.

  "Don't be alarmed." She suddenly speaks up, and I jerk my head away from the fire. "But my Brendan has found us."

  Her eyes land on something over my shoulder, and I turn just in time to see a gorgeous man step through the opening in the trees before they close back up. He's probably the closest I've ever seen to a model, with his strong cheekbones and piercing eyes. His smile lights up the small cleaning. There is so much love in his gaze, it almost makes me feel like I'm intruding.

  "I see you found a friend," he says just before Calista launches herself at him. He catches her easily as she wraps her legs around his middle. They share a kiss that makes it seem like they've been apart for weeks instead of hours before Brendan sets her down and they turn to me.

  "Hi, I'm Brendan."

  "I'm Cordelia. Nice to meet you."

  The man turns to Calista, who is now tucked securely under his arm, and smiles.

  "What have you been up to?"

  "Oh, you know, saving the world, as usual."

  "Please do tell."

  Chapter 14

  It's clear that Brendan and Calista have no secrets between them. She fills him in fast with details as I sit and watch the two interact. Just like with Maxwell and Jemma, they seem so in tune with each other it makes me want to cry. Apparently, I'm becoming a crier. Really need to cut that out.

  "May I see the bracelet?" Brendan asks once Calista is finished. I nod, and he stands to kneel in front of me while he examines my wrist. The bracelet isn't bothered by his proximity at all.

  "That's amazing," he says, when he's finished. "Beautiful work as well." The bracelet grows a little warmer at that, as if pleased with the compliment.

  "What I'm about to say next, you're not going to like." He glances between myself and Calista and both of us are immediately on guard.

  "Well, don't keep us in suspense," the queen demands.

  "It seems that our problem might be the same problem Cordelia is in the midst of."

  "What?"

  "Right before I left to find you, we received word on unauthorized portal jumps around Shadowlands. You told Devra to keep a close eye, and your captain of the guard has been doing an amazing job at that. She registered at least three portal jumps in the span of minutes. There was nothing anyone could do, but I think it ties into what Cordelia is dealing with."

  "How do you mean?"

  "The jumps registered in the same realm as the jump that brought Cordelia here."

  "You mean you can tell which realm I came from and that someone else went there too?"

  "Precisely." Brendan glances at Calista. "We've been trying to figure out who Baba Yaga found to be her ally. Maybe it's someone in Cordelia's realm."

  "That would actually make sense." Calista stands, and begins to pace in front of the fire. "If Baba Yaga was looking for someone to work with, who better than another powerful magician looking for powerful magical objects? She's always had a fascination with the relics, no matter the realm they come from, so why not try again?"

  "This is all guesswork at this point,"

  "But it makes sense," I say. Because I've been thinking the king is getting help from somewhere. For someone who isn't in power yet, he's displaying way too much of it. And if he's working with another powerful sorcerer, then that would be the answer.

  "What do we do about it?"

  "What we've been doing," Calista replies, looking at me. "You go back to your realm and work to find the other relics. We'll work on hunting down Baba Yaga, and maybe we’ll find the king you've been talking about."

  "Approach it from both sides," Brendan comments, smiling.

  "Exactly."

  It feels right, somehow, that I came here. I glance down at the bracelet and realize it must've known. Somehow, it saw past all the cloaking and found where I needed to go to find some answers. Or to find help.

  I offer to take the first watch after that, but Brendan insists. Once I'm laying down, I notice Calista getting up and moving toward where he's stationed. I smile. One day, I hope I find someone who gets me like that too. Someone I can't be without.

  Turning on my side to give them some privacy, I can't help but think of Eric. Last time I was lying by a fire, he was there. He's not happy with me right now, of that I am sure. But why does it matter so much? It's not like we've spent all that much time together. Well, probably more than I've spent with any other cute guy, but that doesn't mean it has to mean anything. And it really doesn't. We're just two individuals on the same path right now.

  Actually, I can probably say that's no longer an issue. After all, I'm the one who ran away. It doesn't really matter. What I did, I'd do it again. My reasons still stand, and my trust in him hasn't gotten any stronger. Even more so, I realize that with Calista and Brendan, I had no reservations after meeting them, not like I do with Tom or his team members. I don't know what that means for me.

  When I finally allow myself to relax, I'm afraid I won't sleep. The thoughts still twirl in my head. But I fall asleep right away. And I dream.

  I'm in the same forest I'm in right now, but there seems to be a subtle red glow over everything. The trees and
the leaves all shine with it, as if it's coming from the inside. I do a quick three-sixty, but I'm not seeing much past the forest. There is, however, a buzzing noise coming from somewhere nearby. I can't tell if it's insects or something more dangerous.

  Moving slowly, I stay alert as I try and find my way out. Because there has to be a way out. This isn't my reality. It's not where I am.

  Is it?

  No. It can't be.

  My mind feels muddled, and I can't tell where the noise is coming from anymore. Is it inside my head or in the space around me?

  I turn again, trying to find some kind of direction, but there's nothing. Nothing but the red glow and the imposing wall of trees. My heart begins to beat faster, panic coming on strong.

  Dropping to my knees, I place my head into my hands, trying to hold myself together. I don't understand what's happening precisely, but it feels like I'm suffocating. My breathing is shallow, and my chest feels like someone is pressing on it. My vision tunnels. I try to find my center, but I can't.

  I am not this person. I do not panic, and I am not weak.

  I try to push the thoughts into my head and make them stay, but they flee before they can take root.

  Root.

  Ground.

  I slam my palms against the ground, digging my hands into the dirt. Just that simple movement steadies me somehow, the feel of the moist dirt a welcome sensation. I let myself focus on that, the small seemingly insignificant feeling beneath my fingertips.

  And then I'm breathing again.

  "Not bad." A voice reaches me, and I snap my head up to find the source of it. A beautiful woman steps out of the shadow, as if she's materializing into the light. She's wearing a long, dark red gown, something a queen would wear to a coronation. Her wrists are adorned in gold and silver, a necklace to match sits around her neck. On her head is a simple crown, a familiar braided design winking at me.

  "Who are you?" I manage, slowly getting to my feet.

  "You don't know?" She asks.

  I glimpse the belt around her waist and then it clicks.

  "You're the one who created the armor."

  She smiles. "It was a symbiotic venture."

  She walks toward me carefully, or maybe she's not walking at all. Her movements are smooth, like she's gliding through the mist instead of against it.

  "How are you here? How am I?" I have so many questions, but I settle on this one first. Because it seems important to know if this is my imagination or if it's actually happening.

  "You're in the land of Skazka, Cordelia. It's a place where the land itself holds memories and speaks when it chooses to."

  "I don't understand."

  "You didn't think yours is the only realm I lived in, did you? I traveled through many and resided in a few. I could never settle it seems."

  "So, you came here? Is that why the bracelet brought me here?"

  "Ah, old friend." The woman smiles, looking down at my wrist. I raise it so she can see it better. "She is a finicky creature."

  So, I was right. It makes sense why I think of the bracelet as a she at times. It must be the connection to her. I can understand her better. Glancing up at the woman, I realize that she can either read my thoughts, or they're written all over my face.

  "She was smart to choose you."

  "I thought the armor was one piece, one magical relic."

  "The armor is more like a group of knights come together to form one unstoppable force. Each has individual powers and ambitions. But when together, they serve their purpose."

  "Can you tell me where the others are?"

  She smiles again, walking in a small circle around me. "Of course I can. But I won't."

  "Why?"

  "Because the right to wield the relics must be earned. They must choose you, or the power stays untapped."

  "That doesn't make any sense," I say, following her progress around me as I turn. "If it chooses the wearer, then why is it dangerous? It would never choose the king." I asked a similar question of Calista, but it seems necessary that I ask it again.

  "And here is where you are wrong, Cordelia. Magic, in itself, isn't good or evil. It's those who use it that give it that power. The king is a strong sorcerer, and the relics are just as attracted to him as they are to you. And he has something on his side that you don't."

  "Which is?"

  "The crown." She taps the one on her head with gentle fingers. The crown glitters for a moment before settling.

  "The crown? That's not possible."

  "It very much is. It's why he's been right on your heels. She guides him because she wants her children back."

  "Children?"

  "Think of the crown as the mother. It’s the piece that was created first, the piece that's the oldest. She used to be bigger and grander, but over time, pieces of her were taken to create the others. Like the bracelet you are wearing. Now, she is a band of braided metals more powerful than you can imagine, and she wants to be whole."

  "So how do I stop him if he has the one piece that can lead him to the others? It's not like we're getting there much earlier than his soldiers." I try not to think of Kelsey, but she must know, or she wouldn't taunt me the way she does.

  "You have to steal it back."

  "Where is it? Can you tell me?"

  "I'm afraid it's time for me to go."

  "No, please, tell me. You said you know where they are. This one... it's not like I'm finding it for the first time."

  "Exactly. You already know where it is."

  I'm stumped for a moment. In that time, she has walked farther away, almost blending in with the forest.

  "She has chosen a worthy warrior," the woman says, a soft smile on her face. "I wish you luck, Cordelia."

  And with that, she's gone.

  I awake with a gasp when I realize someone is shaking my shoulder. My mouth opens, but a hand falls over it, and I see that it's Calista. She places a finger to her own lips, her eyes shining in the dim light. I can feel the tension on her. Instantly, I'm on high alert.

  Getting up to a crouch, I stay beside Calista as she motions for me to follow. That's when I notice she has her sword out. The only weapon I'm carrying is my blade. I doubt that will be of much help if we get ambushed. My magic is a stronger defendant, but even that might not be enough. I have no idea what's out there.

  We reach the outer edge of the clearing. I glance behind me to find the fire still burning and all our the stuff on the ground. When I turn back around, Calista is being hoisted up into a tree. She disappears into the foliage before an arm drops back out of the leaves for me to grab onto. I don't hesitate but grasp the offered hand. Then I too am pulled up into the tree.

  This feels very familiar. It’s something Eric and I did when we escaped from prison. I guess when you're attuned to nature, trees are a logical place to go.

  "There are at least a dozen," Brendan says, his voice barely a whisper. I realize he’s who pulled us up. "I'm going to move west and circle the other end. You know how to fight?"

  That last question is directed at me. "I can hold my own"

  "Good. We have no idea if they're here for us or for you—”

  "Oh no," Calista interrupts, her eyes looking in the opposite direction.

  "What is it?" I didn't think Brendan could be more on alert, but somehow, he is.

  "Kot-Bayun. They did something. I have to—”

  "Cal, it's a trap."

  "Then it's about to catch its prey." She turns, balancing effortlessly on the branch, her expression fierce. "Will you help?"

  "As if there's any doubt." They share an intense look, and I feel like they're communicating without words. Even though I don't fully understand what's going on, I'm part of this. I won't sit by the sidelines.

  "What do you want me to do?" I ask. Calista turns her eyes on me.

  "I need to get to him and break whatever spell they cast. I don't want to blast my magic and harm him accidentally. My magic can be a little out of control at ti
mes."

  "Tell me about it," I mumble, and she smirks.

  "Then you understand. Help me get as close as possible. I can't do anything from over here. There must be a shield."

  I nod and then we move together, staying in the trees. Calista leads the way. I'm not sure if she's being pulled by her connection to the cat or by the land's magic, but she doesn't hesitate. She glances over her shoulder once and then she jumps from the tree.

  Brendan follows close behind. When I land beside him, there's no time to think. Only to move.

  Creatures I've never seen before surround an unconscious Kot-Bayun, trying to cover him from every direction. They're a mesh of flesh, as if someone took different parts of different creatures and sewed them together. Calista doesn't hesitate rushing into the herd, her sword swinging. Brendan is right there with her. The two look so in sync, it's beautiful to watch. I snap out of that fast because one of the creatures notices me and rushes forward.

  I grab my knife, but I don't think it's much help against the purulent flesh, so I reach for my magic as well. It rises up fast and strong, as if at the ready. I thrust my palm forward, sending a ball of fire straight at the monster with a direct hit. He screams, his flesh igniting at once, and then he's on fire.

  For a second, I stand frozen. I've never seen my magic do that before. But maybe the rules here are a little different than I thought. While I'm distracted, a creature rushes me and sweeps me right off my feet. I land hard on my back, the wind whooshing out of my lungs. At the last moment, I roll out of the way as he brings his large foot down. He tries to stomp on me again, but I'm quicker. Pushing my body forward, I slide right in between his legs, cutting the inside of his thigh with a knife. He yelps. When I'm behind him, I throw another quick fireball at his back.

  Jumping to my feet, I notice the creatures seem to be multiplying. Brendan and Calista are closer to the cat but still not close enough. Suddenly, the whole right side of the clearing bursts into a bright light. When it's gone as fast as it came, half of the creatures are gone. I glance at Calista as she drops her hand, determination written all over her face. She clearly doesn't need any magical help. She's being careful not to hurt people or a creature who is important to her.