Roar of Magic (4 page)

“And what would they think of you?”

He bowed low. “That I was the most fortunate of men to have won the heart of so fair a lady.”

Anessa smirked. “Very nicely done. I am the queen of normal, and I know it.”

Her very nature embraced the fact that she was normal. Brown hair, brown eyes and normally beige skin. Nothing about her was exceptional, not her body, not her mind. She was the poster girl for normal. The only thing odd about her was her discovery in a hospital with no trace of where she had come from or who she had come from.

Her origin was the only exceptional thing about her.

“You consider yourself normal?” He raised his brows.

“I do. By human standards, I am very normal.”

He grinned. “You are working in a spell-supply shop.”

She shrugged. “I would have to work in some kind of shop.”

He extended a card. “If you do go to the Crossroads, call me. The fey government is picking up the tab for all women and men who are willing to make themselves available to the fey.”

She gingerly took the card, careful not to touch him. “Okay. I will consider it.”

“That is all I can ask.” He inclined his head and left the shop.

Anessa tucked the card in her bra and continued with her daily tasks.

She went to the order book and read the first few lines, gathering the order, wrapping it and labelling it for pickup or delivery. Humming to herself, she went through the order book and completed all the orders for the next few days. Each order was a combination of herbs, gems, powders, feathers or fur. Now and then, there was the clipping of claw or horn but nothing too large.

The shop packaged everything in waxed paper bound with a gleaming cellophane cover and tied with butcher’s twine and a red wax seal. The addressee was carefully scripted on a small card and tied onto the twine. Anessa only did one order at a time. Mixing them up created odd results that she didn’t want to think about.

Two shifters came in to sell fur and claw trimmings. She looked down at the samples and she inhaled. Her scowl should have been able to peel paint.

“Well, I would love to purchase these samples from you, but they aren’t feline.” She nudged the claws. “These are canine claw trimmings, from a standard, un-magical dog.”

She tapped the fur on the other side. “This was taken from a fur coat. Not magical, not feline and not getting you anything.”

One of the young men put his hands down on the counter. They changed into claws and scraped against the wood. “We want Traff crystal.”

She blinked. “No.”

The other male showed tufted ears and a flattened nose. “Do it or we mess up that pretty face of yours.”

Anessa had two choices. She could hit the alarm and possibly be attacked, or she could jump the counter and thrash these two. She smiled and made up option three.

With her knee, she hit the alarm, sealing the shop. She jumped over the counter and grabbed each of the men by the throat, banging their heads together with a snarl.

To say they were surprised was a gross understatement. Shock was written in each pair of dazed eyes.

“You...you are not a mage.” The shifter who had marked up the counter said in a dazed manner.

Anessa didn’t say anything. She held them down until the shimmer of assistance arrived. One man and one woman from the guild appeared and raised their brows.

Anessa sighed. “They wanted some of the inventory.”

The two officers took possession of the shifters and cuffed them tightly.

“Quick thinking, mage.” The male smiled at her.

One of the shifters muttered, “She isn’t a mage. She’s a shifter.”

The officer pushed him to the spot they had appeared in. “Don’t be stupid. If she were a shifter, she wouldn’t be able to read mage script. How would she be able to work here?”

That little tidbit remained with Anessa while she tidied up after the scuffle.
How am I able to read mage script if I am a shifter?

She guessed that Evan might know the answer, but he didn’t come in until late afternoon.

Three days later, she had no more information than what Evan had been willing to give her. Somewhere in her family tree, there was a mage and that magic remained in her bloodline.

For the thousandth time since this change in her circumstances started, she wished that she knew who and what her parents were. For the first time in her life, she felt the liability of not knowing. It wasn’t just inconvenient; it was dangerous.

The agitation grew with every passing day until it was a second heartbeat in her limbs. When the heartbeat moved to her groin, she picked up on the fact that it wasn’t just her change in social circumstances. Her beast wanted something, and it wasn’t going to let her delay much longer.

She was putting a vial of water taken from a pool at the full moon back on the shelf when her hands started to shake.

Evan was in the shop, and he asked, “Are you all right?”

Anessa flexed her hands. “I am just going through something, and I don’t know how long it will last.”

He sighed. “You are in heat.”

She blinked. “How do you know?”

“You have turned up the air conditioning so high, my testicles have retracted and you are still sweating. You have looked at every male customer as if he were edible and each female as if you wanted to tear her apart. You have a decision in front of you.”

She wanted to snarl, but she nodded. “Right. Either join the pride or hunt my own mate.”

“Or the Crossroads. It would open the possibilities up to you.”

“Are you good friends with Leroc?”

He blinked. “No, he has only been in the few times you have seen him. I met him outside the shop on that first day.”

Anessa tilted her head, and her lioness hummed at the thought of Leroc seeking her out. “I suppose I should make a call, whatever I decide, if I stay around here today, your inventory is in danger.”

He chuckled. “Take the day off. Call me if you are coming in tomorrow; otherwise, I shall consider you on holiday.”

“I am sorry to be taking so much time, Evan.”

“Don’t be sorry. You have been here every single day for the last six years. You deserve your time off.” Evan winked. “With pay.”

She had her backpack and was out the door before he could change his mind.

Anessa sat in her apartment and stared at the two business cards. She could tell Leroc she was going and get the whole thing paid for on the fey account, or she could call the number James had given her and have him support her. Either way, she needed to move quickly, this was getting ridiculous.

She closed her eyes and hovered her hand above the table. Instinct had gotten her this far, and she trusted it to take her the rest of the way.

She felt a thick card snap into her hand, and she opened her eyes. Leroc’s card was in her hand. It was enough of a sign for her.

She packed a bag with enough clothing for a week and picked up her phone. With slow deliberation, she dialled the number.

His voice was husky and welcoming, “I am delighted that you have called.”

“I need to get to the Crossroads.”

“Expect a transporter within the hour. He has your paperwork.”

“Thank you.”

“No, thank you. I will endeavour to make sure that you never regret this.” Leroc chuckled. “See you soon.”

The call was over, and Anessa was left with nothing else to do but get down and do push-ups until her arms hummed.

The surge of energy in her small apartment caught her attention, and she snarled, whirling toward the intruder.

The young man held his hands up. “Miss Prin? Please, come with me.”

She nodded, calmed herself and her claws, and got her backpack. “I am ready.”

Her appliances were off, her fridge was empty and she was ready to leave.

The transporter smiled. “It will just take a moment.”

A circle of light hung in the air in front of her, and when he spoke, she stepped into it.

The explosion when she arrived caught her off guard.

Shouts of confusion were all around her, and Anessa looked into Leroc’s face as he lifted her in his arms. “Hey, I made it.”

He chuckled, but there were worried lines around his mouth. “You did indeed. Welcome to the Crossroads.”

A woman’s features swam in her vision. “That is my line. Anessa Prin?”

Anessa nodded.

“You seem to have other magic already embedded in you. It didn’t react well to the shifter gateway, but that is why we have a built-in hole in the roof. Leroc is going to carry you to the Open Heart, and I will be there shortly to finish your registration.”

Leroc didn’t wait. He was carrying her out into the light and down the street.

She groaned.

“Are you in pain?”

She squinted at him. “No. I am merely thinking that I just blew up the Crossroads.”

“You aren’t the first. You seem to have more than the normal share of mage magic for one of your kind.”

She sighed. “Wonderful. So, what do you do for a living?”

He barked a laugh. “I am retired. I have one specific skill that has been discontinued by the fey as it is not appropriate for the modern age.”

“What is it?”

“I am the sandman. I took willing females and males from their homes to their elven lovers, and when the lovers tired of them, I took them back. It doesn’t really fly in today’s day and age.”

Her ears were still ringing. “I can see why they discontinued your use. Enjoying retirement?”

“It would be better if I had someone to enjoy my time with. Perhaps a family in the future.”

Her shoulder throbbed, and she tried to look but he distracted her.

“So, how many kids would you like? I am thinking three.”

She blinked. “That is...are you already planning kids? Just you carrying me is like being cradled by lightning.”

He grinned. “It just means that we are a good match. Our powers repel each other on an equal basis.”

He stepped up toward a building, and he turned sideways to ease her in. A woman’s voice was low. “I will get Spike.”

“We will be in my room.”

“Right. I will hurry.”

The woman went silent. Anessa assumed she had left.

“Who was that?”

“Our hostess. Teebie of the djinn. She has gone to get some medical help.”

“Um, why?”

“You were injured when you blasted in. I now understand why I was ordered to be here for the last few days.” He chuckled.

“You have been here for days?”

He was on the second floor and walking down a hall. She kept her vision focused on his face, because she didn’t want to see her injury. As soon as she saw it, pain would follow, and it was taking all of her concentration to keep her focus on Leroc.

She pressed her head to his shoulder and closed her eyes, inhaling his scent. It was the best distraction she could offer herself as he turned sideways and carried her into a bedroom, settling her carefully on a bed, sitting up.

When her arm brushed the pillows, she felt the pain.

Footfalls approached rapidly, and two new voices came in.

A woman was next to her, and she introduced herself. “Hiya, Anessa, my name is Spike, and I am here to help you with the medical help you need.”

“Okay. Pleased to meet you.”

“You have a large chunk of broken wood through your upper arm, and I have to remove it. It will hurt, so if you can find something to keep you calm, do it.”

Anessa reached out and took Leroc’s hand. She didn’t even need to see him to find him.

He squeezed her hand and whispered, “And now you will close your eyes and sleep.”

She felt a light dusting across her lips, and she slept.

* * * *

Leroc watched as Spike knelt on the bed, had her mate, Al, hold a wad of gauze at the ready, and when she nodded and pulled out the six-inch spike that had entered just below Anessa’s shoulder and jutted out below her elbow.

The blood spurted and flowed freely as the spike came loose. Al pressed the gauze to the wounds, but they quickly became soaked with blood.

Leroc looked at the bruising on the hand he was holding, and he watched it heal under the sparks that were wreathing their point of contact.

Spike hissed and worked at the arm, but the blood kept coming. “If you have some fey trick up your sleeve, you should find it now.”

He let Anessa go, channelled his energy into his hands and he moved Spike and Al aside. With all his energy focused, he grabbed Anessa’s arm and the lightning storm began as her body fought back.

Spike winced but watched. “It is working. Keep going.”

The blood flow slowed, and the bruising under the skin came to the surface before slowly dissipating. The open wounds took longer, but after an hour, there was no trace of her wound except for the blood-drenched bedding surrounding her.

Leroc was shaking when he pulled his hands away. They were stained red with Anessa’s blood. “How is she?”

“Pulse is weak but steady; she lost a lot of blood. She needs a bath and a meal. I am sure that Teebie can help with that.”

“I can bathe her if you two could help arrange the meal and Teebie could dispose of the blood.”

The blue woman nodded from the doorway. “I will. I have Anessa’s bedroom ready if you want to put her in there while I clean up in here.”

“Can you move my things into her room? We already had an arrangement before she came here and our attendance at the Crossroads is out of necessity, not wishful thinking.”

She looked at him and nodded. “Fine, but one complaint from her and you are going to be on the roof.”

He lifted her in his arms and nodded. “Accepted. Please, lead the way.”

He turned with Anessa in his arms. “Thank you, Spike; thanks, Al.”

They waved with bloody hands, and he carried his beloved into her bedroom, bypassing the bed and taking her to the bathroom. Her clothing was trashed.

Teebie put her hand on his shoulder. “Despite your agreement, I am not sure that she would appreciate knowing that you had handled her nude body without her consent. I will take care of her, and you can wait in the bedroom. I will bring her in when she is clean and dressed.”