Chapter 19

CHAPTER 19

IZZY

" S tay behind me. At all times, Mags," Rhys orders as we stare up at a super obvious villain lair. Like, come on, bad guys. Locate your base of operations somewhere that doesn't scream "I cook up evil plans here that have more holes than a porcupine's sweater."

It's been a week since my date with Luca. I was supposed to have a date with Cain tonight, but he had to cancel. I'm helping Elemental out tonight. Usually, I don't do work on school nights. With Cain moving our date to tomorrow, I have time to help tonight.

We're looking for a little girl kidnapped by some vampire clan leader. He's angry at his friendly neighborhood bear sleuth for something or other. So, he decided to steal one of the sleuth's kids in retaliation. She's only five, and we're going to get her back to her family.

The abandoned warehouse has seen better days, with most of the formerly red brick cracked, dirty, and falling apart in some places. Despite being dilapidated, it has high-tech cameras, motion sensors, and floodlights surrounding the outside.

That's super stealthy. I'm sure there's nothing nefarious going on here.

"Sir, yes, sir!" I whisper with an exaggerated salute. I hear a few chuckles behind me, but Rhys just rolls his eyes at me. I grin at him in return.

Since my magic is needed, I'm in my typical disguise. With shoulder-length black hair, light brown eyes, and golden tanned skin, I don't look anything like myself. My face is also more rounded, my nose a little longer, and my cheekbones lower. While I'm still the same height, because changing height requires a ton of magic, it'd be hard for anyone to connect Mags O'Sullivan to Isabel Gallagher.

Since Rhys, Bishop, and Aiden are overprotective of me, there's speculation at Elemental that I'm dating one or all of them. We sell it that I'm just an old family friend, but I don't think most people buy that. At least none of them suspect who I am, which is all that really matters.

"No killing unless it's absolutely necessary," Rhys informs me and the five men behind us. Although, I'm pretty sure he's mostly warning me. I may or may not accidentally on purpose kill more bad guys than I'm supposed to on the regular.

David, Max, Finn, Conan, and Cian are with us tonight. They're all good dudes, and none of them are from Hawthorne Grove. I trust them, as much as I trust anyone other than Bishop and my family, to watch my back.

Bishop isn't on this mission with us. He's working on stuff for the Nightshade Pack, so Rhys didn't tell him about our operation tonight. He wouldn't be happy to know I'm working for Elemental without him as backup. Oh, well. I'm not particularly happy he's working for the Nightshades without taking backup, so we're even.

"Sure thing," I agree. Our definitions of "absolutely necessary" might be a smidge different, though. Rhys eyes me suspiciously before turning on his heel. He moves on silent feet toward the warehouse. I follow close behind him with David behind me. The other mages are in a line behind him.

When we reach the back door to the warehouse, Rhys signals for Finn, Conan, and Max to circle around to the front. We're going to go in both entrances at the same time. Rhys hopes we can just get in, find the girl, and get out. But we're prepared for the worst-case scenario.

Along with my disguise, Anya also made us a scent eliminator potion. Vamps have a crazy good sense of smell, along with super duper hearing and vision. Hiding our scent means we're more likely to have the element of surprise, but it's not guaranteed.

After waiting sixty seconds for the others to get into place, Rhys breathes, " Adflictare." The padlock on the door shatters as soon as Rhys's magic hits it. The internal deadbolts also break down with quiet clanks.

When Rhys pushes on the door, it swings inside with a loud screech. I wince. There's no way Sparkles and Co. didn't hear that. Rhys hangs his head briefly before shaking it off and leading us inside. I scan the dirty concrete floors, chipped brick walls, and the catwalk above us and see nothing. Our view to the front is blocked by a cinder-block wall dividing the lower portion of the warehouse into multiple sections.

The shouting from upfront has already started. Sorry, Rhys . I guess we'll be doing this my preferred way. Get in, kill as many as I can, and get out. Rhys motions me up the stairs as he, David, and Cian make their way to the others. I give him a nod and jog to the staircase that's only still standing through hopes and prayers. A few steps are missing, and the rest are rusted out in spots.

My job on these missions is usually to secure whoever we're rescuing. I'm the most powerful mage Elemental has. By far. I can protect the kidnappee, open up a portal, and fend off attackers, all at the same time. There are very few other mages who can do all of that at once, so it's my job by default.

I take the stairs two at a time, hoping I won't fall through. Leaping to the top, I let out a relieved sigh. That is, until I see the blur of a vampire barreling toward me. One positive about my weird magic is that I have way faster reflexes than the average mage. I'm whipping out a dagger and throwing it at the vampire before I have a chance to think about it.

The downside is it comes out to play more easily when I'm in danger. My magic starts slithering through my veins, leaking out into the surrounding air. I grit my teeth as I waste precious time trying desperately to wrangle it back where it belongs. After a few long moments, I'm able to stuff it back into its prison in my chest.

When the vamp comes to a stop in front of me, he looks in confusion at the dagger protruding from his chest. He then crumples to the floor in a heap, paralyzed by the blade to the heart. Simply stabbing a vampire through the heart won't kill them. Their heads have to be removed and hearts cut out to do that. But it does stun them, which is all I need right now.

Mages, unfortunately for me, are a lot less hearty than vampires. We can be killed by decapitation, ripping our hearts out, piercing our hearts, blood loss, and pretty much anything a normal human can be killed by. It blows being a mage, most of the time.

Shifters are somewhere in the middle, between vampires and mages. Decapitation obviously kills them. Destroying a shifter's heart completely or draining them of most of their blood will also kill them. But they can survive more blood loss and damage than a mage.

I unfortunately have to leave my dagger behind for now. Good thing I'm always carrying extras on missions like these. Glaring at the vamp who is the current proud owner of my favorite knife, I make my way down the hallway. Poking my head into every nook, cranny, and room I pass and finding nothing, I'm starting to think our intelligence that said that Lottie is on the second floor is wrong.

Until I hear a squeak of surprise and fear when I open the third door on the right. I quickly scan the dusty wood floors, crumbling brick walls, and broken furniture. My shoulders slump in relief when I see a small blonde girl huddling in a corner as far from the door as she can get. "Lottie, I'm here to help, honey." She shrinks into herself farther at my voice. Anger for what the vampires put her through bubbles in my chest. I squash it down because the little girl needs me to be calm. Taking a deep breath and unclenching my fists, I try to appear nonthreatening.

Slowly taking off my backpack, so I don't frighten her, I pull out a ragged pink stuffed bunny. "Lottie, it's okay. I won't hurt you, sweetie," I whisper. "Your papa sent us. He thought you might need Benny, so I have him right here for you."

Her wide green eyes finally meet mine when I mention her stuffed animal. She hesitantly unfolds from her protective position and creeps closer to me. When I don't do anything but crouch there patiently, Lottie gains confidence. She darts in to grab her stuffie and backs up against the wall again. Hugging the toy tightly to her chest, Lottie watches me with tears running down her freckled face.

My heart hurts for the little girl plunged into a war she never asked for. I want to give her a hug, but she doesn't know me. What she needs is the people who love her and miss her. "You wanna head home, Lottie?" She nods her head vigorously, her dirt-coated pigtails flopping around as she does so. A small smile tugs at the corners of my mouth. "All right, honey. I'm going to portal you to your papa. You're going to feel magic in the air as I do so. It's nothing to worry about, but it might feel a little ticklish."

Lottie gives me another hesitant nod. Giving her a soft smile, I look away and mutter, " Defensare. " A light blue dome surrounds us, protecting Lottie and me from any vampires who stumble in.

When I'm sure the defensive shield is sturdy enough, I whisper, " Aperire ." I open a portal to one of Elemental's conference rooms. Through it, I spot a large blond man paces around the oval wooden table, his brown boots silent on the navy carpet tiles. With his red flannel shirt, full blond beard, and barrel chest, Lottie's dad, Chuck, looks like a lumberjack.

Aiden is sitting in a mesh chair pulled up to the table with three computers and a bunch of papers strewn across the oak tabletop. He's so absorbed in providing mission support that he doesn't see us at first. Chuck rips his gaze from the warm taupe walls and calm landscape pictures to stare at me. I give him a small nod to let him know we found her. He lets out a harsh exhale as tears fill his green eyes that are a copy of Lottie's.

It takes Lottie a moment to open her eyes. She squeezed them shut as soon as I started using my magic. When she sees her dad, she runs straight toward him. I quickly step in front of the portal before she can go through. Lottie stops just short of crashing into me. I reach out to steady her, but she flinches away from my touch.

"You can go through the portal, Lottie. It's going to feel sticky and heavy and pretty weird, okay? I just wanted you to be prepared, but you can go to your Papa whenever you're ready." I move away from the portal to allow her to go through.

Her eyes dart around the room before she searches my face intently for a moment. Deciding I'm not trying to trick her, Lottie rushes through my portal. When she pops out on the other side, her dad is there to scoop her up into a massive hug.

"Oh, Lottie, I'm so sorry, baby. You're safe now. We won't let anyone hurt you again." Chuck rubs her back gently as her little shoulders shake with quiet sobs. While she's physically safe, Lottie's got a long road ahead of her. The things she's seen and experienced over the last few days will take more than being rescued to heal.

Chuck looks up from his daughter to lock eyes with me. He sounds seconds from breaking down. "Thank you. Thank you so much for finding her and bringing her back. We've all been sick with worry for her. None of us would've ever been the same without Lottie."

A lump forms in my throat, and a few tears trail down my cheeks. I swipe them away with the backs of my hands and clear my throat. "Yeah, no problem." I hear shouting and realize I've spent too long already on getting her out. The team needs me to help with the rest of the vampires. "I've gotta go. Just, give her some extra love and attention for a little while? She's going to need it."

After getting a nod from Chuck, I close the portal. I cover my eyes with my hands as I take a moment to get myself together. Stuffing down all the anguish and heartache for Lottie, I pull on the anger that's simmering just below the surface. I let it rush through me like a prairie fire. It burns away the softer emotions.

Dropping my hands from my face, I straighten and grasp a knife in each hand. I can't fix anything for Lottie, but I can damn well get her a little revenge. I bare my teeth in a savage grin before rushing out of the room to rejoin the others.

"You look exhausted today, dearie," Anya observes. Her raspy voice breaks my concentration. I stop stirring the potion I'm working on to rub my hands over my tired eyes.

Leaning back against the front counter, I look at the small Russian woman who's become a surrogate grandmother to me. My dad's parents want nothing to do with a magicless disappointment, and my mom's parents aren't around much. Anya gives me all the grandmotherly love I never knew I was missing.

At barely five-feet tall, with white hair permanently in a French twist, Anya shouldn't be intimidating. But her sharp brown eyes, no-nonsense personality, and potent magical abilities make her a force to be reckoned with.

"Yeah. I stayed out late last night helping with Rhys's operation." It was totally worth it, but I only got two hours of sleep. I can function pretty well while sleep deprived, but the tiredness really hit me after school today. My date with Cain is tonight, so I've been drinking energy potions to try to perk up.

"Did you need a disguise potion?" Anya walks around me to peer into the cauldron housing my potion.

"Yep. I had an extra one. Thanks for those, by the way. They're super helpful." While I've worked with Anya for years, I'm still not good enough at potion making to make them myself.

Anya hums before turning her too insightful gaze on me. "And what would Rhys need his magicless sister to be disguised for?"

"Oh, you know, a little this and that." I look away from Anya as I lie. While I'm lying to protect her, it still makes me feel slimy. Anya is one of the few people I like in Hawthorne Grove. She gave me a chance when no one else would, and she deserves honestly. Knowing my secret will only get her killed, so I have to do what's necessary to protect her.

Anya hums in disbelief but doesn't push it. "And you're working on your special project again."

It's not a question, but I answer, anyway. "Yeah."

She sighs and places one wrinkled hand on my forearm. "It won't work, dearie. I've been around for one hundred and forty years, and this type of magic cannot be done."

Panic coils around and tightens my airways until I'm gasping for breath. Failing isn't an option with this potion. Making it is the only way everyone will be safe. I have to make it work.

"There's a first time for everything, Anya." I try to keep my voice light, but it comes out choked up instead.

Anya turns away to study the potion once more. Moving surprisingly quickly for her age, Anya hurries to the back room. She comes back with a few ceramic jars and puts them on the counter in front of me. Grabbing one, she opens it and walks over to my potion. "Have you tried dried marigold?"

"No, I haven't. The recipes I've seen haven't suggested it."

"Well, we'll need to go off recipe if we want a result the recipe doesn't promise, now, won't we?" She waits for my nod before moving closer to the potion. Anya meticulously measures the marigold powder before adding it in stages to the potion. Chanting something I can't make out, Anya's signature forest green magic flares in the mixture for a moment before fading.

"You think it will do anything?" I can't keep the hope out of my voice, even though I've tried so many different ingredients to get it to work.

"I don't know. The only way to find out is to try. We tried, and now we have to wait." As Anya finishes speaking, the bell on the shop's front door tinkles. Anya walks out front to greet the customer.

I stare at the potion a moment longer, willing it to work. Blowing out a breath, I settle in for an afternoon of waiting for the potion to work and Cain to pick me up for our rescheduled date.