Ancient Magic (Dragon's Gift: The Huntress #1)(61)

It was dark when I got outside, probably the wee hours after midnight, but that was just a guess. My muscles ached as I took the stairs two at a time up to my apartment and let myself in. The small space looked so familiar, but I felt so different. I could still feel the electricity crackling within me.

Aaron had possessed other gifts—fire and telepathy that he’d used against Del in the fight at Ancient Magic—but it didn’t feel like I’d inherited those. I wasn’t entirely sure how it worked, but maybe I’d only taken his root gift. The one he’d been born with. The fire and telepathy had been stolen.

I shook the thought away. I didn’t want to think about Aaron or my new powers. It’d take me time to parse through what had happened and how I was going to deal with it and I didn’t have the energy. My adrenaline was fading now that I was in the safety of my home.

Quickly, I crossed to the secret door in my bedroom and let myself into my trove. I flicked on the lights and the soothing golden glow reflected off my treasures. Comfort washed over me, followed by bone-aching exhaustion. The only thing that had kept me going had been the adrenaline.

I walked past aisles of my beloved trove. In the back, I dropped to my knees in the corner. With a trembling hand, I pushed aside a pair of boots and pressed my hand to the wall.

My touch ignited the spell that hid the small door. The lock clicked and it swung open. Within, the tiny golden locket glinted from the back corner. It was my only clue about my past.

Or maybe not.

I unzipped the gym bag and pulled out the scroll. It was heavy in my hands. I realized why when I began to unroll it. There had to be twenty feet of rolled vellum here. Quickly, I skimmed it, grateful it was alphabetical and that the monks who had written it had been Irish.

I found FireSouls, and skimmed for our names. When I came upon Cassiopeia Cleraux, Pheonix Knight, and Delphine Hally, my shoulders slumped.

I’d hoped our original names would be written. I didn’t know if I’d recognize them, but process of elimination would help. They could have led us to our parents or information about our past.

I ignored the names of the other FireSouls and skimmed the information below our names. Physical descriptions and a list of our powers. I was described as a Mirror Mage, Nix as a Conjurer, and Del as a Transporter and Phantom half-blood.

Whoa. I rocked back on my heels. That was news. I packed the info away for later examination.

I looked for Aaron’s name and found it. Lightning Mage. No mention of fire or telepathy abilities. As I’d thought. Stolen powers didn’t transfer.

My hands trembled with exhaustion as I rolled up the scroll and put it back in the gym bag. I pushed the bag into the small space and shut the door, then replaced the boots.

By the time I staggered back down to Ancient Magic, Aidan was being loaded into an ambulance. The flashing red and blue lights lit up the night. I ran the last few steps toward the stretcher.

“Ma’am, ma’am! You need to move,” a paramedic said.

“I just need to see him,” I said, fear tightening my throat. He’d been alive when we’d brought him back to Ancient Magic. He still was, right?

“It’s fine,” a gravelly voice said from the stretcher.

I nearly collapsed in relief. I’d been operating on instinct to protect my deirfiúr and myself when I’d left him at the shop, but now I wanted to see him.

I leaned over the stretcher. His face was wan and his hair singed, but the corner of his mouth kicked up in a smile.

“You don’t look so bad, considering you got hit with about a million volts.”

“I feel great,” he said wryly. “I recommend it.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Did you get the scroll?” he asked.

My brain blanked. I didn’t want to lie to him. I spent my life lying to everyone around me except my deirfiúr. For once, I wanted to be honest.

But I couldn’t be.

I shook my head and pushed the lie past my tight throat. “No. It was destroyed by the lightning the thief was throwing.”

His brow lowered and skepticism flashed on his face.

He didn’t believe me.

A paramedic hustled up to the other side of the stretcher. “Time to get you to the hospital, Mr. Merrick.”

He pushed the stretcher toward the ambulance. I stepped back, grateful for the reprieve.

“You don’t need to pay me,” I called after Aidan. “I failed, so we’re square.”

I couldn’t hear if he responded. It might not be the last time I saw him, but that was my last word on the matter. As the ambulance pulled away from the curb, I turned toward Ancient Magic.

The lights were on when I entered, casting a harsh glow on the damage that Aaron and his master’s demons had caused. Nix and Del sat on the floor, leaning against the counter.

“You look better,” I said to Nix.

“I’m conscious and upright, so yeah, I feel better,” Nix said.

“They didn’t want to take you with Aidan?” I asked.

“I wouldn’t let them. He was zapped by a full bolt and was too weak to stop them. I just got knocked out when I touched the side of the cage.”

“I told her not to,” Del said.

“I never listen,” Nix said.

“Aidan will be okay, though, right?”