Natural Mage (Magical Mayhem #2)(62)

Reagan was already ten feet in front of me, with the distance growing.

I launched forward, trying to open myself to the world around me, and instead noticed all the little pockets of darkness dotting the way. Anything could jump out of those pockets. Sure, the size was off for a person-sized ghoul, but if she could change form, maybe she could change size.

Various banshee forms rolled through my head, effectively eliminating my ability to summon spells. I couldn’t tell if that was better or worse.

The path forked—I could either go straight ahead or turn left through the trees. I hadn’t seen which way Reagan had ducked. The leaves on the right shivered. It wasn’t until I had turned left and was jogging past another bench that I noticed all the leaves were shivering and the branches ahead, where the path dumped into empty space, shook.

It was just the wind.

I released a heavy breath.

“Reagan?” I called as loudly as I dared, slowing on the path. Dried leaves rubbing together filled the silence, like an audience laughing and cheering at my vaudeville act of bounty hunting.

“Reagan?” I called again, a little louder.

A soft song drifted over and around the bushes flanking the path. Sweet yet sad, the music was intended to bring tears to my eyes. Wisps of magic rode the breeze, trying to pull me to the left side of the path.

There wasn’t a specific spell being aimed at me. More of a feeling. A deep longing to feel the warm embrace of a loved one, safe and secure. It didn’t even claw at me, though the underlying intent seemed to hint that it would, but it stroked my face and cupped my cheek.

“Hells to the no.” I took off, running faster than Reagan had and aiming for an open area up the way. I needed to see this thing coming.

The soft song turned into an intense wail, loud and long. It pulled back the fuzzy blanket and exposed a set of iron fangs, chomping through the air right on my tail.

I chanced a look back. My eyes didn’t see anything, but my imagination was really going wild on this one, and it was severely messing me up.

A body burst out of the bushes in front of me. Magic swirled around it, whipping and lashing. An old woman reached for me, welcoming me into her arms.

“Cluster-sucking wally twat!” Reagan had taught me some new Euro-slang that Americans (namely my mother) might not realize were swear words.

My mind buzzed, no spells at the ready, so I reacted how I did when Reagan was after me and I had nothing magical with which to beat her back.

I pulled my fisted hands to my chest, jumped into the air, and struck out with my foot, the execution perfect.

My shoe hit the banshee’s face. I pulled my leg in, landed on balanced, evenly spaced feet, jabbed with my left hand and, seeing the old woman reeling, stepped forward and delivered a strong right hook.

Without slowing down, I pivoted and took off running. I was no freaking hero.

I dove through the bushes, followed by a scream-wail like nails on chalkboard. Once on the other side, I heaved a sigh, seeing a stretch of grass to the right. I just had to make it—

A body crashed through the bushes on my left.

I screeched and spun, punching out. A hard forearm swiped through the air, knocking my fist away. Only then did I see who it was.

“Where is it?” Reagan asked, completely cool.

“Sorry…” I jogged farther away from the bushes. “There.” I pointed back the way I’d come.

She was gone in an instant, crashing through like a rampaging elephant.

“Crazy,” I said between pants. “She’s…crazy.”

But she was also my partner, and I couldn’t leave her to chase that thing on her own, regardless of how excited she was by the prospect.

“Bollocks.” I jumped in after her, finding her on the other side, crouched, her sword in hand. She shoved me behind her when I staggered into her side, and put her finger to her lips.

I put my hands out like claws, because without a sword, I had to do something scary, and let the night roll over me. The dense smell of foliage greeted my senses and the moisture of the night layered my skin. Stars blinked down at us from overhead and the breeze ruffled my hair.

Everything stabilized. My fear drifted into the background and my brain stopped buzzing. Nature reached out her comforting hand for me, and I took it. Within one of my compartments, I felt a power stone beg to be taken out.

It was the rock Emery had sent me from Ethiopia, Mr. Happy-Go-Lucky. I was now pretty sure it was most pleased when around danger. Like Emery when certain moods struck him.

“There you go,” Reagan said, rising enough to step forward slowly. “There’s the power. Now, use me. Connect with me the way you did with those witches. And for the love of God, turn around so you can watch our six.”

Of course she hadn’t shoved me behind her so she could protect me. She was looking at me as an equal, not a damsel in distress.

I felt a little sheepish, and a lot empowered, as I about-faced.

I felt Reagan’s magic pulsing near me, a riptide of power, ready to suck me in and overcome me. The woman was packing large, and it still impressed and disconcerted me. I pulled it into the bubble I’d formed from my magic and Mr. Happy-Go-Lucky’s, letting her intense, spicy magic bolster ours.

“Did you do it?” she asked, taking another step forward.

“Yes. Can’t you feel it?”

“No. I don’t have that kind of magic. Okay, here’s the situation. She’s good at hide-and-seek, and we can’t just go crashing into her or she wins. Quite tricky, this one. A worthy adversary.” Reagan looked behind. “The ol’ broad is hiding from me, but she went after you. She clearly senses that vulnerable thing you do and wants easy prey. So we’re going to dangle the bait.”