Chapter 4 - Lorelei

Mark. Why the hell did it have to be Mark?

I tried not to stare at him, though I could feel his eyes locked on me. I took in the rest of the massive crew, trying to get a grip on the new situation. It felt like everything had been turned on its head in the span of five seconds.

I was half-convinced that this was a hunger-induced hallucination. How else did you explain my childhood bully suddenly appearing out of nowhere? That was not even counting the fact that a bunch of shifters—because that’s what they had to be; their stature gave them away, even if Mark’s presence hadn’t—had decided I was important enough to rescue. Witches and shifters didn’t exactly get along. And Declan’s words… they knew about my family and what we were guarding. It explained why they cared, but not how they knew in the first place.

It wasn’t until Declan’s hand rested on my shoulder, until I felt that weight, that I knew this was really happening. I was going to get out of here.

“How are you feeling?” Declan asked. “Are you able to walk for a bit?”

“Yeah.” I wasn’t going to admit I felt more than a little wobbly. Inara had followed through on her threat not to feed me. I forced myself to stay upright.

“In that case, let’s get going before Inara realizes something is wrong,” Declan said. “Or none of this will matter in the first place. I doubt we have much longer.”

I nodded, forcing myself to focus on the problem at hand. Not on the fact that my bully from well over a decade ago had just stormed back into my life.

“I’ll follow you guys, then,” I said.

Before Declan could move, Mark pushed forward, coming to stand in front of me. His eyes scanned every inch of me, cataloging every scrape and scratch and bruise. “You all right?” Mark asked.

I bristled. Like he cared. I didn’t know what his game was, but whatever it was, I wasn’t going to be a part of it.

I wouldn’t have thought I could have this much distrust or dislike for a guy I hadn’t seen in well over a decade, but apparently I was better at holding grudges than I’d realized. All of a sudden, overwhelming exhaustion washed over me. I wanted nothing more than to go home to my cottage and be alone again, where I didn’t have to deal with Mark or any of these shifters. I could just be by myself.

“I’m fine,” I said.

“Good,” Mark said. “Let’s get going.” He held out his hand, as if actually expecting me to take it.

I glowered at him before pushing past him to follow Declan.

“How did you get in, Jameson?” Declan asked, talking to the other shifter in the lead.

“Front door,” the other shifter replied. “We sent Inara on a goose chase. She’s nowhere around.”

I raised an eyebrow, glancing at Declan. “ That’s your way out? Walking through the front door?”

He shrugged. “Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best answer. You should know as well as anyone that the place is effectively impenetrable. If walking out the front door is the best option, then that’s what we’re going to do.”

“Here.” The shifter named Jameson held out an amulet to me, one that matched the ones around all the shifters’ necks. “It’s protection. Are you able to wear this?”

“I know what it is,” I said. “And yes, I can. It’s just not pleasant.”

I slipped the amulet over my neck and immediately repressed the urge to shudder. It felt slimy against my skin, burning a little too hot. It would protect me from other witches, but that meant it didn’t agree with my magic, either.

We moved through the house. I stared at the unconscious body at the entrance to the prison until I saw his chest moving up and down.

As we continued walking, I could sense Mark’s gaze lingering on me, could feel the heat of his body right behind me, as if he didn’t want me to get too far away from him. It just annoyed me even more. I didn’t trust the way he was suddenly so attentive. I half-expected him to trip me at any moment or start jeering at me. The weird niceness had to be an act. Even if it wasn’t, that didn’t mean I wanted anything to do with him.

It surprised me how easy it was to get out of there. If it hadn’t been for the talismans around each shifter’s neck, I’d have thought we’d run into some sort of trap by now. But I could tell by the inscriptions on the amulets that whoever had made them had created them with the intention of getting around magical traps. Inara was the type of witch who looked down on any methods that weren’t magical, meaning that any traps or alarms she had set up wouldn’t be triggered.

Sooner than I would have expected, we came to the door. Declan held me back before I could rush out. When he made sure the coast was clear, he gave a nod and let me through.

Fresh air brushed against my skin, filling my lungs for the first time in weeks. I took a deep breath, relishing the freedom I’d been beginning to think I might not ever get back.

“We’ll want to get out of here quickly,” Declan said. “Wait here.”

They all dipped into the woods. Moments later, several powerful wolves emerged from the woods in place of the men who had been here a moment earlier. I sucked in a breath. I had seen shifters all my life, of course, but their beauty and grace never ceased to amaze me. And these shifters were in another league entirely. The sleek fur did nothing to conceal the powerful muscles beneath them as they towered over me by a good foot. Every inch of each of them had been honed into a deadly weapon. I blinked and glanced away, realizing I’d been ogling.

A blond one came to stand in front of me, crouching slightly as if expecting me to climb on. Recognizing the eyes and snout from childhood, I turned my back on Mark, instead clambering on the jet-black wolf I was fairly certain was Declan.

The instant I was situated, the pack took off. My eyes stung as the wind slammed into me, pushing my hair away from my face as the world blurred around me. I bent lower, gripping the wolf’s fur so tightly that I was certain it was uncomfortable for him, but I was unwilling to let him go.

Even as my heart pounded with the rush of adrenaline, I couldn’t help but feel a rush of exhilaration. I could understand why shifters loved running through the woods if this was how it felt just riding one.

We ran for what felt like hours. My head throbbed from hunger, and my eyes ached from the sting of the wind. My legs were sore from clenching the wolf’s side. Eventually, the wolf ahead—Jameson—let out a howl. He must have been communicating to the rest of the pack because a moment later, everyone slowed to a halt. Declan bent for me to dismount, leaving me alone in the clearing while the wolves dipped into the trees. Moments later, they had returned, shifting back into their human forms.

“Is something wrong?” I asked, looking around. “Why did we stop? Are we being followed or something?”

Jameson shook his head. “Just taking a break. We’re close to Brixton now, but riding for that amount of time, especially in your condition, can take its toll. So we’re taking a quick stop. Are you hungry? I think we’ve got some food around here somewhere.”

The truth was, I was starving and food sounded incredible. But I was still reeling from how drastically my situation had changed in just a handful of hours. I had other priorities at the moment.

“Brixton?” I asked.

“It’s where we live,” Jameson said. “You’ll be safe there while we figure out a few things.”

“All right, since we have a break, I’ve got some questions,” Mark said. He planted his feet and folded his arms. “What the hell is going on? Why was Lorelei a captive, and what was important enough to bust her out? I have a right to know.”

I stared open-mouthed at him as anger washed over me. “Excuse me, but none of this is your business,” I hissed. “You don’t have any right to demand any information.”

“We grew up together,” he argued. “I think that gives me some right to some answers.”

“‘Grew up together?’” I repeated, incredulous. “You made my life a living hell. And we haven’t spoken in years. In no world do you have any claim to any information about me.”

His jaw worked, and I saw the stubborn defiance in his expression even though I could tell he knew I had a point. I could also tell he didn’t care and was going to keep pushing until I caved. He’d been pushy and controlling when we were kids. Not much had changed, then.

Sure enough, instead of backing down like I obviously wanted him to, he doubled down. “I’m still not leaving until I get some answers,” he said mulishly.

I wanted to slap him. Behind him, I saw some of the others muttering behind him. Klyte and Sam watched me with interest, while Oliver and Rand continued to keep their eyes on Mark, as if ready to step in if things got out of hand. It was obvious they were as surprised as I was at the connection, but it was also clear that none of them knew anything about the type of person Mark used to be.“All right, stay here.” I spun toward Declan. “Let’s move.”

Declan glanced at me. “He’s going to keep doing this. And there’s no reason for them not to know at this point. His whole spec-ops team is wrapped up in all this now. They’re going to have to know. Inara’s still a danger until we neutralize her.”

I bristled, jaw clenching as I flexed and unflexed my fingers. “Fine,” I said. “You tell him. If you know enough to send a rescue team to get me out of there, then you probably know why they kidnapped me in the first place.”

Declan shrugged. “If you insist.” He turned back to Mark and the rest of the shifters. I’d noticed they had separated into two clusters, though I had no idea why. “Lorelei’s family is the last of an ancient line charged with protecting a hoard of magical items known as The Trove.”

There was a pause as the words washed over them. Mark stared, bewildered, gaze locked on me.

“I thought it was a legend,” Jameson said.

“Nope,” Declan said. “It’s very real. Inara wants something from it, though we’re not sure what.”

“I do,” I said, causing everyone to turn toward me. “I figured it out a couple days ago based on something she said.”

That got Declan’s attention. He whipped his head around to stare at me. “What is it?” he demanded.

“It’s Morgana’s Diadem,” I said.

Declan stiffened as his eyes flashed with alarm. I knew he recognized the name. Morgana’s diadem, supposedly worn by Morgan Le Fay, was supposed to enhance one’s magic abilities and allow the wearer the ability to control others for a period of time. Morgan le Fay had managed to bring about King Arthur’s death with the diadem. In someone like Inara’s hands, there was no telling what she could do with it.

“In that case, I’m glad we got to you when we did,” Declan told me.

“And she can only get to it through you?” Mark asked. “Whatever this diadem thing is?”

“No, she just kidnapped me because she thought it would be fun. Or because she needed a cottage witch who can barely cast a gardening spell,” I spat.

Declan coughed. “Anyway, the opening is locked behind magic passed down through Lorelei’s family. Lorelei is the only one left in her family line, meaning that she’s the only one who can open it. Which is why Inara wanted her and kept her alive.”

I scrutinized the massive shifter, brow furrowed. “How do you know all this?”

He snorted. “A stash of magical artifacts so powerful, they can alter the fabric of reality and change the course of history, and you don’t think the Council would keep an eye on the family charged with protecting it? They’ve kept an eye on you since you were born. They didn’t want anyone opening it.”

I hesitated. “They don’t have anything to worry about,” I muttered, heat flooding my face as I looked at the ground. “I don’t know how to open them. My parents died before they could teach me. My powers only manifested a year before they died, so I never got really any training. Hence, I’m not particularly powerful. On top of that, I don’t even really know where the opening is. Just that it’s around the cottage.”

“That’s good, though, right?” Mark chimed in, and I rolled my eyes. “They’ll knock it off and leave her alone if she can’t open it.”

Declan raised his eyebrow. “She was a captive for over two weeks,” he said. “If Inara was going to give up and cut her losses, she would have done it by now.” He turned back to me. “She’s going to keep coming after you until she gets what she wants or we stop her.”

The words sent a chill through my body. I sucked in a breath. I knew he was right. Hearing it aloud was something else entirely. The thought of her coming after me again, of constantly looking over my shoulder and wondering what she would do to me next time she got a hold of me, made my pulse race.

“Then she’ll have me to deal with,” Mark snarled.

I rounded on him, still bristling. “You don’t have anything to do with this,” I snapped, then turned back to Declan. “What then? We kill Inara? How the hell do you plan to do that?”

“We’re still working that out,” Declan said. “Our mission was to get you out of there before she could convince you to open the doorway. I’m guessing she didn’t believe you when you told her you couldn’t open it?”

“No, she believed me. But she didn’t think that would be an issue. She offered to train me,” I admitted. “She thinks I’ll be able to figure it out even without my parents.”

Declan’s attention sharpened. “Do you think she’s right?”

I shrugged. “Maybe? She knows a lot more about these things than I do.”

He rubbed his chin, as if an avenue he’d thought was closed had suddenly reopened. “We need to get the diadem,” he said. “If we can get our hands on it first and destroy it, we’ll be able to stop whatever it is she has planned. It might even leave her vulnerable.”

He studied me, looking at me with a different type of interest. The type that said I wasn’t just some witch he had to rescue, but someone who might actually prove to be an asset if the circumstances lined up.

“Would you be willing to train?” he asked. “I might be able to find a witch willing to help, or at least lend you some books. If we can figure out how to open The Trove, we can stop them from coming after you. Everything can go back to the way it was.”

Going back to the way things were was exactly what I had been dreaming about for the last two weeks. “Of course I’ll help,” I said. “If it means she’ll stop coming after me and I can go back to my old life, I’ll do whatever you want.”

“Absolutely not,” Mark chimed in. I’d nearly forgotten he was here for a few blissful moments. “There’s no way I’m going to allow it.”

“You don’t get a say in it,” I snarled. “It’s my decision. Since when are you in control of my life? You came back into my life less than an hour ago, and right now, I’m starting to wonder if Inara was the better option.”

Mark ignored the jab. “There’s no guarantee they’ll stop coming after her. For all you know, they’ll decide they want something else from The Trove. This is a stupid idea. The best option is killing Inara and keeping Lorelei safe until we’re able to do that.”

“There are other items in The Trove that can fight against Inara,” Declan said. “Opening it is still our best option.” He eyed Mark with annoyance. “Are you going to keep arguing about this or actually listen to me?”

Mark snarled. Jameson stood next to him, his hand going to Mark’s shoulder. “Leave it,” he muttered.

“I’m not going to leave it,” Mark snapped.

By now, I had already turned back to Declan. “I’m happy to help,” I repeated. Whatever would get me back to my old life and my privacy the fastest.

“No—” Mark said, falling short when I glowered at him.

Declan, for his part, ignored Mark. He nodded at me. “Once we get to Brixton and things have settled, you and I can start figuring out the best way to go about all this.”

“We have some witches nearby,” Jameson said. “They’re not willing to help directly—they made that pretty clear when I asked them to join the mission to come break you out—but they’re willing to make talismans and potions and the like. I’m sure one will loan you some of their spell books or something.”

I shrugged. “That’s as good a place to start as any.”

Mark had been watching this with an uncomfortable intensity, the darkness in his eyes deepening with every moment. Despite myself, the look sent shivers running from the soles of my feet to the crown of my head. He came to stand next to me, his body close enough that I took two steps back. That didn’t stop him from bending down so he was closer to my height.

“Lorelei, can I talk to you privately?” he asked, his voice low.

My eyes narrowed. Every time I saw him, I thought about all the ways he had tormented me as a kid. It was impossible not to see the guy who had tripped me in the halls on more than one occasion. I didn’t trust him as far as I could throw him. Whatever he wanted to say to me, I didn’t want to hear it.

“I’d rather not,” I said.

Irritation flickered across his features, giving me a bit of savage satisfaction. Then, his shoulders sagged, and he sighed.

“Please?” he asked.

I studied his features, still trying to quell my own frustration. Genuine earnestness and desperation were on his face. A little nugget of something that was either sympathy or guilt worked its way inside me, and I exhaled in frustration. I didn’t want to talk to him, but I also didn’t think I could avoid it, either. Might as well get it out of the way.

“Fine,” I grumbled.

Mark nodded, shoulders relaxing slightly. He jerked his head deeper into the woods.

Exhaling, I took a look over my shoulder at Declan and Jameson. Declan’s eyes flicked over at me, then darted to Mark for the briefest of moments before he resumed his conversation with Jameson. The rest of the shifters were chatting, tending to injuries, or keeping an eye out. Without any more excuses to delay the inevitable, I followed Mark through the trees.

We walked a few minutes in silence until we were well out of earshot of the others. He finally came to a halt and turned back to face me.

It felt strange being this close to him after all this time. The youthful features that had been burned into my mind had all dissolved, replaced by rugged good looks. A perpetual five o’clock shadow ran along a square jaw. The boyish fat had melted into well-defined cheekbones. I wasn’t short, but he still towered over me, muscles ripping, and I knew without a doubt he could haul me over his shoulder and carry me for miles without breaking a sweat.

I squeezed my eyes shut. That was a fantasy I had no interest in encouraging in any way.

“What do you want?” I demanded, forcing myself to stay focused.

“I want you to reconsider,” he begged. “Look at what these witches have already done to you. It’s only going to get worse if they figure out you’re actively working against them.”

“It’ll get worse if something isn’t done about them,” I argued, folding my arms.

“Sure, but let us handle that. You don’t need to put yourself in more danger.”

Rage bubbled inside me. “What does it matter to you, anyway?”

“It just does,” he snapped back.

“Well, it shouldn’t.” Decades of rage and resentment spilled out of me as I glared at him. “And even if it does bother you, too fucking bad. My decisions don’t affect you in any way, and you have no right to have any input in any of them in the first place. Stop acting like you have some bizarre right to make choices for me just because you used to chase me into bogs when we were younger.”

“I don’t care,” he said, standing straighter, a spark of infuriating self-righteousness glinting in his eyes. “I’m putting my foot down. You’re not helping.”

I snorted. “Have fun trying to stop me.”

He sighed, seeming to deflate. He took a step closer, and my heart leaped traitorously into my throat. Some primal part of me wanted to strip him and fuck him right then and there, despite my rage and hate. I took a step back, only to feel rough bark between my shoulder blades.

“Is that your final say in the matter?” he growled. His hand moved behind his back.

I nodded, chin out in defiance. “It is,” I said.

He nodded, eyes sweeping the area. “In that case, I’m sorry, but you leave me no choice.”

The hairs on the back of my neck prickled too late. His hand grabbed something from his back pocket, reemerging seconds later with a cloth. Before I could run, his free hand grabbed my wrist, holding me in place. He shoved the rag against my face as I opened my mouth to scream, smothering the sound as a sweet smell filled my nose.

Then everything went black.