Ancient Magic (Dragon's Gift: The Huntress #1)(54)

“Run!” she screamed.

“Not without you!”

“I’m coming.” She beheaded another Phantom with a swipe of her sword. “Go!”

More Phantoms converged on us, reaching out with clawed hands. Del could fight better without us in the way. I ran.

I hated to leave her, but knew I had to. We all had specific battle skills—apparently, this was one of Del’s.

The three of us sprinted down the street toward the great garden that stretched out in front of the manor house on the hill. A tall stone wall and a wrought iron gate marked the end of the street and the beginning of the palatial property. My lungs burned as we raced for it.

Aidan reached the gate first, Nix just behind him. He stopped and turned, kneeling on the ground and cupping his hands in front of him to provide a step for her.

Without stopping, Nix stepped onto his hands and he vaulted her up. She grabbed the top of the tall gate and scrambled over, dropping onto the other side.

Just as I reached him, Aidan knelt and did the same for me. With a long stride, I planted my left foot in his hands and he heaved me upward. I seized the gate and pulled myself over. Aidan leapt over a second later.

I collapsed on the ground, aching and panting. I gripped the gate bars, watching Del fight with my heart lodged in my throat. She fought like a woman possessed, all those years as a demon hunter paying off. Her silvery blue hair whipped as she spun around and cut straight through the waist of a Phantom who reached for her. Her eyes glowed bright with rage and she turned on another, her blade flashing like blue flame.

“I can change now that I’m away from them,” Aidan said. “I’ll go get her as a griffon.”

I shook my head. “It looks like she’s got this in the bag.”

Del had always been a good fighter—stronger and faster than most Magica—but her Phantom speed was insane.

And she looked pissed as she swung her blade.

“No, I’m getting her,” Aidan said. His magic swelled around him, evergreen and chocolate flooding my senses.

I reached out a hand and grabbed his arm, never taking my eyes off Del. “Seriously, she wouldn’t want you to.”

I hoped she wasn’t stuck as a Phantom forever. But if she was, she’d want to be the one to kill every last one that had turned her. Being rescued by Aidan halfway through having her vengeance would just piss her the hell off.

“Fine.” Aidan’s voice was clipped, but I didn’t give a crap if he was displeased. I was too busy being worried about and impressed by Del.

She slaughtered the last Phantom and stood, her sword hanging at her side. She glowed a pale silvery blue as she surveyed the carnage. Then she turned and walked toward us, her steps deliberate and her face set.

I glanced at Nix. “She looks like a freaking badass.”

“Seriously,” Nix breathed. “She needs a superhero name.”

Del neared the gate and we stood. Instead of climbing over, she walked straight through the bars.

If I hadn’t been so scared the change was permanent, I’d have complimented her on her awesome new gifts. Instead, I said, “What the hell happened?”

“No idea,” Del said. Slowly, she was turning corporeal again. The blue tint to her skin faded, replaced by her normal skin tone. She looked down at her hand. A relieved sigh heaved out of her. “Oh, thank fate.”

I reached out and touched her hand. She felt normal.

“So, no one here knows why Del just turned into a Phantom?” Aidan asked.

We shook our heads.

“No idea,” I said as I turned and got my first good look at the garden. “But we’ll have to figure it out later, because I think this garden is gonna be a problem.”

The moon and stars were bright, shining down on the garden that stretched out on either side of the narrow road that led up the long sloping hill. At the top of the hill sat the elaborate manor house. In moonlight, it looked like a crouching dragon. Statues of mythical beasts lined the drive. Behind them, wild topiaries of animals snarled.

“Who the heck maintains this place?” Nix asked.

“No one,” I said as the garden’s magic washed over me. There were dozens of scents and tastes—so much magic running amok, some of it decaying from age. As if it weren’t controlled by a Magica, but by itself. “The magic feels old and strange. It’s decayed and some has gone wild.”

“Our thief lives here?” Del asked. “Verrry depressing.”

“It’s great from a security perspective,” Aidan said. “If you’re a wanted criminal, this island does a damn good job of keeping you hidden and deterring those who’re after you. All the thief has to do is transport straight into the house.”

Good point. If this thief had been filling his house up with treasure for years, it had to be awesome. I itched to explore.

“Follow the yellow brick road?” I asked.

“Only if I get to be Dorothy,” Aidan said.

I glanced at him. He loomed beside me, his shoulders broad and his face intensely masculine. “You would never pass for a Dorothy.”

“Fair enough,” he said.

I drew my blades, and we set off up the road. The air tingled with magic, prickling against my skin. Actually, it felt like a lot of things—bugs crawling, blowing sand, slimy cold. All of them bad.