Chapter 6

Six

"Losing magic for a supernatural being is the equivalent of a human losing a limb. Or at least that's the only thing I know to compare it to. There's something vital missing from me, and I feel phantom echoes of it in my body. But when I reach for it, there's nothing there." ~Thad

"Years have passed with no visitors, and yet in the span of a month, I have had three. First, I received a confused fae. Now, I entertain Thadrick, the djinn with scattered memories, and his mate, Jezebel, a rare white witch. I am knowledgeable of the past but not the future, and I have notanticipated the arrival of these newcomers in my domain. I cannot say that I am pleased, Thadrick. Even those who bring me food leave it at the door, fearing to come closer."

"Forgive our intrusion, Knowing One." Thadrick bowed his head. Jezebel mimicked the motion but remained silent.

"What is it you think I can do for you, History Keeper?" Anuva stood from his chair, navigating around his cluttered desk. Books filled every available space, leaving only narrow paths in the massive structure deep in the djinn realm. He valued his privacy, a necessity for his chosen task.

"You know what has happened to my mind," Thadrick's confidence was unwavering. "You are The Keeper of Lost Things, so you know what I have lost. I'm not asking for those memories back. I'm asking you to clear the chaos that remains. You, of all our kind, embody order. Bestow that upon me, if you are able. That is all I ask."

Anuva chuckled, leaning back on his desk, a rare gesture for him. His job required a level of seriousness that left little room for humor. Now, a decision was presented to him. What Thadrick asked was within Anuva's power. But was restoring Thadrick's mind, and thus his full power, the right thing to do?

"You are powerful even without the order of your mind," Anuva pointed out.

"But I am not…"—Thad hesitated—" me without it. I cannot be who I was created to be." Thadrick's frustration showed in his tense posture.

"Have you considered that your purpose might change?" Anuva moved to a shelf, running his hands across ancient texts until he found the book he sought. "Supernatural beings often cling to an idea like a child to a toy, willing to harm others to protect what they perceive as theirs."

"If I'm not meant to be a History Keeper anymore, then what am I?" Thadrick's desperation gave Anuva pause.

Anuva opened the book, finding a specific passage, and began to read. "‘Hello, my child,' the Great Luna said to a young djinn. ‘I have many plans for your life. Your identity comes from me and my love for you, not from the job you will take on.' The boy looked at the goddess in awe, amazed she would speak to him. ‘Nothing I create is insignificant. There is beauty and purpose in everything at the right time. You are created for more than one purpose. You will not remember this until it is time. You are dear to me'."

Anuva closed the book, causing dust particles to rise and shimmer in the light. He returned it to the shelf and faced Thadrick and Jezebel. "You see, Child," he said without condescension, "you should never find your identity in what you do. You are so much more than that."

Thadrick's eyes were glassy as he stared at the book's place on the shelf, a memory resurfacing. After a moment, he looked back at Anuva.

"My powers will not return, will they?" His voice held a rare vulnerability.

"No. I don't know what the Creator has for you. I don't know the future. But from my long experience, I know that learning to change and move forward is part of growing. Those of us who live long lives often think we have nothing left to learn, that we are all-knowing. But only one is all-knowing and unchanging, a constant rock for her creation. The question is, will you trust her to know what is best for you? Will you grow and change, or will you stubbornly fight against this new chapter in your story?"

Anuva returned to his chair, steepling his hands as he looked at the couple. He saw resignation in Jezebel's eyes and a sense of loss in Thadrick's. He believed Thadrick would find his way, follow the Great Luna's guidance, and discover his new purpose. "Go, Thadrick of the djinn. Take your mate, join your comrades, and discover what the Great Luna has in store for you. The memory I did not read is that you will always have the power of the djinn, but you were never meant to be the History Keeper for all time."

Thadrick stood outside the veil of his people, unsure how to feel about what he'd learned. How could he question the Great Luna who created him and gave him purpose? How could he let go of what he once was?

Jezebel's hand ran down his arm, her fingers entwining his. She was a source of comfort in his raw and exposed state. How would she feel about him? Would she view him as less?

"I can practically see your worries." She shook his arm until he looked at her. "You're still you, Thad. You were a history keeper, but you're so much more. You're a warrior, a friend, a lover, a man who cares deeply for justice. There is much you have to offer. And I will be beside you as we both figure out where we fit in this chaos."

He knew she was right, as was Anuva. It might take some time to adjust, but Thad wouldn't let this change him. He wouldn't let it weigh him down until he was useless. The djinn would follow the Great Luna's guidance and go where it led him.

He turned to Jezebel, the woman who chose him. "I love you." He took her face in his hands.

"I love you, Thadrick." She smiled, rising on her toes to kiss him. They were both breathless when they finally pulled away.

"I imagine Fane could use us somehow."

Jezebel laughed. "If he can use Myanin, then he surely has a place for you in this battle."

Thad pulled out his phone and sent a group text to the fae he knew. A moment later, Dain, one of the high fae, appeared.

"Thad. Jezebel." Dain nodded. "How can I help?"

"Can you get us to Fane's location?"

Dain nodded at Thad, extending his arm. Thad and Jezebel placed their hands on it, preparing for battle as warriors, not as history keepers. Their purpose had changed, but it was no less important.

Anna could feel Gustavo's agitation at being unable to come into the building. She didn't blame him. Her eyes widened as she saw the amount of skin that was on show and wondered why they even bothered to put on anything. It's not like the tiny strings covered anything of significance.

"It's not about what the outfits don't cover, Anna," Gustavo's sensual voice filled her mind. She didn't know if it sounded even more provocative than normal because of her surroundings. But it definitely had a magnified effect on her.

"What's it about?" Oh, wow, do I sound breathy?

She felt a finger run along the back of her neck, and heat filled her belly. "It's about what they accentuate ."

His words immediately made her aware of how the strips of fabric drew her eye to certain places. "Oh." She dropped her gaze immediately.

Elle glanced back at her. The fae's pink hair looked slightly fluorescent in the black lights. "You good?" she asked loudly so Anna could hear it over the music.

"Just getting educated." Anna squeaked when she felt a hand on her cheek, a hand that wasn't the touch Gustavo used through the bond.

"I'm going to kill them all," her mate said in a dark, though quite calm, voice. He never seemed to lose control, but that was even scarier than an explosion of emotion.

"You can't kill a female for touching my cheek." Anna ducked her head away from the inquisitive woman and kept her eyes on the back of Elle's head. She hurried forward and grabbed the back of the fae's shirt. "Where are we going?"

Elle made a motion to a booth in the furthest corner. "A place where we can watch and keep everyone from being at our backs."

Anna liked the idea of not having anyone be able to sneak up on them. She currently felt like they were being followed, and she kept looking over her shoulder only to find people dancing, paying them no attention once they'd gone past them.

When they'd finally made it to the booth, Anna slid around to face the room and take it all in. "What was Jewel doing in a place like this?" She didn't really expect Elle to answer.

"Maybe she was curious," the fae offered. "Or wanted to spice things up in the bedroom."

Anna rolled her eyes. "Now you sound like Jen."

Elle shrugged as her gaze roamed the room.

"What are you looking for?"

"Something that would attract a gypsy healer with witch blood running through her veins."

"You think the magic in Jewel has become dark again and something is drawing her here?" Anna didn't want to think that was the case. She didn't want to think that Jewel still struggled with the awful things they had been through. Did she still look at the scar on her stomach and relive all that Volcan had put them through?

"Anna," Gustavo called. " You are mine . The memories cannot have you."

The warmth of his words flowed all the way to her toes. Gustavo never let the dark memories overwhelm her. He chased them off the moment they crept up. That meant he rarely left her alone for very long. It didn't bother her. He was easy to be around. He talked only when he had something to say, but he seemed to enjoy listening to her talk, which was kind of funny because she didn't feel the need to say much.

"Did you talk to Jewel?"

Anna frowned at Elle. "Of course we talked."

"What about?" Elle didn't look away from the room as she spoke.

Anna thought about it and then shrugged. "Sometimes, it was about mated life. Other times, about whatever crisis we happened to be in at the moment."

"But nothing super personal? She didn't confide or hint that something was wrong?" Elle's eyes narrowed in on something, and Anna's head turned to follow her line of sight.

There was a group of vampires, evident by the teeth they had sunk into the necks of other supernatural beings, dancing provocatively as they had their meal. Okay, that is disturbing . Did I really just think of those people as their meals?

"Should you do something about that?" Anna asked the fae.

"The people aren't being forced. They're willing adults. As long as they're not hurting anyone, then I'm not getting involved, especially when I don't have backup." Elle glanced at her and looked her up and down. "No offense, but you don't exactly look intimidating."

Anna didn't bother to conjure any magic in her hand. She didn't want to draw attention to herself. "Even better. People always underestimate me."

Elle seemed to consider this for a moment and then nodded. "That's true. But I'm still not engaging with those vamps. There's too many other supernaturals here that would defend them, even if they don't like them, simply because of the ‘enemy of my enemy is my friend' rule."

"So what are we going to do?" Anna continued to watch the surrounding activities, some of which she quickly glanced away from.

"Wait."

"For what?"

"I don't know."

"That's not very helpful."

Elle leaned back in the booth, looking much too comfortable in such a seedy place. "I never claimed to be very helpful."

"Then why'd you offer to help?" Anna's frustration with the pink-haired female was growing.

"Because I'm curious," Elle said nonchalantly.

"Jewel is just a curiosity to you?" Anna didn't understand why she was getting so mad, but she could feel heat rising up her neck as she balled her hands into fists.

"There's never been a healer with witch blood until you five, and Jewel had the most exposure." Elle shrugged. "So, yeah, I'm curious about her."

"Do you even want to actually help her, or are you just here to quench your interest?" There was a sharp bite in Anna's tone. She rarely went straight from zero to a hundred in a blink, but she was there now.

"Anastasia." Gustavo's voice caressed her mind. "Calm yourself and tell me what has you so upset. Has something happened to you?"

"No." Her tone was still sharp. "I mean, other than being in the cesspool of an establishment, and the fact that Elle is simply here because she thinks Jewel and I, and the other healers, are oddities to study."

She felt his stillness at her words and wondered if he was going to figure out a way to get through the wards keeping him out. Instead, he continued to speak to her in that calm tone of his.

"Think about what you're saying, Amor . You've known Elle for a little while now. Do you really think she would come here, go into such a place, just because she was curious?"

Anna forced herself to pause at his words. She took several deep breaths and reminded herself of what she knew to be true. Jewel had often said that when it was hard to see what was real, you could combat lies with the truth. Anna knew Elle cared about everyone in their pack, Romanian and extended. She'd proven that over and over as she'd fought alongside them. She was mated to Sorin, and he would know her heart because he was her mate. Sorin didn't seem like a man to put up with a female who did not have good intentions. Elle was also comrades and friends with Peri. Peri might be many things, but she wasn't a person who chose assholes as friends. So all that meant that Elle wasn't really what she was portraying.

"Okay, so what gives?" Anna sighed and her body deflated. "Why are you intentionally pushing my buttons?" Because now that she thought about it, Anna realized that's what the fae had been doing.

"I needed to see how much the darkness in here affected you," Elle explained. "You're a healer, Anna. Same as Jewel. You are pure and good and light. But you've been touched by darkness, and that will never go away. I needed to see how much of that darkness in you still responds to other darkness around you."

Anna's eyes widened. "Holy crap, I failed."

Elle shook her head. "It wasn't a test."

"But it sort of was," Anna argued. "I should have been able to feel it. I should have known that in a place like this it would call to that shadow in me that Volcan put there." Then a thought occurred to her. "Gustavo pulled me out of it. Was Dalton not able to do the same?"

"I don't know. But if he wasn't, then why not?"

Though the healers talked and shared things about themselves to each other, that didn't mean they just openly gave a deep insight into their relationships. Jewel had never indicated that she and Dalton were having any problems.

After sitting there for another twenty minutes, Anna finally pressed her hand to her stomach and nudged Elle. "I'm getting nauseous. I need to get out of here."

The female fae nodded. "That means you're fighting the evil in here. Your witch blood isn't as strong as the healer magic in you. And you haven't been feeding it like the hungry, little monster the darkness is. It lives in each of us, just like the light. The question is which one are we feeding and allowing to grow?"

That made Anna mad, because it made it sound like Jewel wasn't strong. That she was weak because she'd come into this place, and apparently many others like it, and been unable to keep from giving into the dark magic inside of her.

"Let's go." Elle grabbed Anna's hand. "Before you blow up at me. You've been tainted enough for one evening."

Outside, Anna took in great gulps of air. Then Gustavo's arms were wrapped around her, and she breathed in his captivating scent. The smell of home, safety, and love.

"You're all right." He rubbed a hand down her back. "You did good."

Dalton tried not to let envy rule him as he watched the Spanish Alpha hold his mate. It felt like an eternity since Jewel had let him hold her, let him comfort her.

"What did you find out?" Dalton looked at Elle. Sorin stood next to her, his hand on her lower back. Dalton could still see the absolute devotion in the wolf's eyes for the fae. It didn't take a hug or kiss to see that Sorin was just as concerned about his mate as Gustavo was about Anna.

"Whatever evil is in there…" Elle nodded toward the building. "It didn't affect me, but it definitely messed with Anna."

"Messed with her, how?" Dalton clenched his jaw. "And if you could get in because of some sort of darkness in you, then why didn't it affect you?"

Elle shrugged. "I'm not young and impressionable like Anna and Jewel. And I'm not insecure about the darkness that I know is a part of myself."

Dalton tilted his head to the side as he studied the female. Then he pointed to Sorin. "If you have darkness in you, then how are you able to keep his darkness at bay?"

"Because, no matter what I have in me"—Elle pointed to herself—"it's nothing compared to the unchecked darkness of a Canis lupus ."

"Oh." Anna pulled out of Gustavo's arms and held up her finger. "What about an unmated male? You just said their darkness is bad. What about having one of them go into the den of skin?"

Elle snorted. "The den of skin?"

"What? There was a lot of freaking skin showing in there."

"I think it needs to be a healer." Dalton paused and appeared to be thinking. "Whatever is drawing Jewel into these places is specifically related to... what she is ."

"Or who she is," Sorin said gently.

Dalton wanted to snarl at the male, but what for? Speaking the truth? He'd be a fool to deny help, and that came in many forms, including hearing things he didn't want to hear.

Elle nodded. "I agree. Let's move on to the next one. Dalton, show me."

His attention was momentarily distracted by the vibrating of his cell phone. Dalton pulled it from his back pocket and saw it was Dillon. He couldn't answer it. If he did, his alpha could force him to tell him what was going on, and Dalton wasn't ready to talk until he understood more. He knew Tanya would take care of Jewel, so he decided communicating with the alpha female would be a good idea. Dalton pulled up her contact and sent her a text.

Dalton: I'm asking you as not just the beta of our pack, but as a friend. Do not let Jewel leave the pack mansion for any reason.

Immediately, dots started moving across the screen as she replied.

Tanya: What the hell, Dalton? Dillon is ready to lose his mind, and Jewel looks like she's been in one of those damn horror films as the possessed, weird girl that's going to climb up the wall and crawl across the ceiling like a cockroach. What is going on?!

Dalton stared at the screen, wondering what to say. He felt like telling Tanya what was going on with Jewel, or what little he knew was going on, would be betraying his mate's trust. But what choice had Jewel left him with?

Tanya: Hello?

Dalton: I can't tell you that yet. I don't even know exactly what's going on.

Admitting he had no clue what was going on with his female made Dalton feel like a complete failure as a mate.

Dalton: I can tell you I am working on figuring it out.

Tanya: Do you need some help? No judgment and no orders. Just help from one pack mate to another?

And that's what made Tanya an outstanding leader. She was willing to meet the needs of those she loved, even when she had no clue what they might ask of her.

Dalton: I appreciate it, Alpha, but I've got some people working with me.

Tanya: People who you can keep safe?

She wanted to make sure he wasn't getting help from people that might one day hold it over his head.

Dalton: It's all good. As soon as I have an inkling of some news, I will let you know.

Tanya: Good enough, for now. You know Dillon is going to come down on you for this.

Dalton: I do.

It was true. Dalton knew his alpha would rip him from one end to the other for not telling them what was going on. They were pack, and that meant when one hurt, they all hurt. Intellectually, Dalton understood that, but it wasn't always easy to put into practice.

"Everything good?"

Dalton reached his hand out and laid it on Elle's shoulder. He gave her the image in her mind of the next place he remembered, then they flashed.

As Dalton stared at the establishment, he tried to think back to how it had looked when Jewel had brought him here. But he didn't remember it having a flashing neon sign.

"You have got to be kidding me." Anna pointed at the building. The sign illuminated the surrounding night, a beacon in the desolate darkness of the countryside. ‘What's your flavor? We have it.' "Where are they even getting the electricity for that?"

Elle held up her hand, and a ball of light formed.

Anna rolled her eyes. "Oh, right. Okay, dumb question. But can't this be seen by people? A huge neon light in the middle of nowhere?"

"By whom? The horde of hikers that pass by the area in the middle of the night?" Sorin asked dryly.

"Yeah, but surely someone would see it. A plane passing by or something."

Elle snapped her fingers, and suddenly she and Sorin were gone. "Now, you see us. Now, you don't."

Anna sighed. "You'd think by now I wouldn't ask so many dumb questions."

Elle clucked her tongue at the healer as she and Sorin reappeared. "There are no dumb questions, only dumb people."

Anna huffed a laugh. "You sound like Peri."

"Or." Elle held up a finger. "She sounds like me. Ever thought about that?"

"No," Anna said flatly.

Dalton cleared his throat and focused on the bond between him and Jewel. She still had it locked down tight. The only thing he could feel was pain. And he was the cause of it.

"Why do you suddenly look like someone ripped off a claw?" Elle asked.

Gustavo stepped closer to Dalton, and he felt the alpha power flowing off the male. The interesting thing about an alpha's power was that it was for more than just putting rowdy wolves in their places or protecting the weak. An alpha was naturally intuitive to those less dominant than himself. And if he was a good alpha, then he would be compelled to help. Whatever emotions he could scent around Dalton, the dominant in Gustavo was drawn to that pain and wanted to comfort him.

"You're both going to be all right," he said in that deep, yet gentle, way of his. "Everything feels impossible when you're in the middle of the storm, and you can't see the hand in front of your face. But the calm will come, and all will settle. You can make things right then."

"The things I said," Dalton admitted. "I don't know if I can make that right." The hurt on her beautiful face was of his own making. How could he hurt the person he loved most?

"I've heard Jen say some pretty crappy things. And her mate is still sticking it out with her. Whatever is going on between you and Jewel, you will work it out. And any, or all, of us will help you two." Elle let the words hang there for a minute before she nodded to the building with the neon sign. "Anna, you ready?"

The healer clapped her hands together once and then rubbed them. "Absolutely. Let's get our evil on."

"You're going to need to tamp down the excitement on the evil just a little," Elle told her as she headed toward the building.

"Got it." Anna gave her a thumbs-up. "Let's kick evil's ass."

Dalton heard Elle sigh. "No wonder Peri's crazy, having to deal with you flighty gypsy healers. I'd be batshit, too."

Dalton watched the females disappear beyond the door. Sorin and Gustavo started pacing immediately. Dalton simply folded his arms across his chest and spread his legs, getting in a comfortable stance to wait. He hated waiting.