Kiss of Frost (The Dragon Stone Saga Book 1)(15)

"Where should I put him?"

I nod toward the cell we've got down here. We built it to help out the local lycan pack when they've got an unexpected or early turn with one of the youngsters. "Right in there."

"Do I want to know why you have this?" Beck tosses the mage none too gently on the cot in the corner and closes the door behind him, the metal door clanging shut.

I snap my fingers, locking it both physically and magically. "It's for the local pack." I look up the stairs leading to the house. I hear footsteps. The door opens and I reach out with my magic. It's just Jem. I shake out my hands, trying to relieve some of the residual tension. Last thing I need to do is blast my sister with some magic.

"The local pack? Do you mean werewolves? They're still in existence?" Beck sounds relieved.

"Yeah, of course. We help them when we can with youngsters." I nod to Jem as she clears the steps. "I need you to seal this as well. And once Ann settles the girls upstairs, she should too. The more magic and layers we have on it the better."

"Agreed." Jem whispers a few words before flicking her wrist, sparks flying from the tips of her fingers. "Done. I'd like to see him get through that."

"Do not underestimate him," Beck cautions.

"We aren't. But we're pretty powerful in our own right." I wink at him. "I told you I've got a few tricks up my sleeve."

Beck nods, his gaze focused on the unconscious mage in the cell. I step away from him and whisper low to Jem. "How is Kay? And her mom and sister? What are their names? I never even asked Kay."

"Her mom is Emma and her sister is Zoey. Both are pretty shaken up, but they're happy to be safe and away from those assholes." Jem scowls at the mage in the cell. "Kay is kind of all over the place. She's happy, she's scared, and she's thankful. Emma is nervous and Zoey hasn't really said much. I think she's still in shock."

"I can't even imagine…"

"Me either. But we got them out. And it was easier than we thought it would be. Now we just have to let them know they're magical as well and work on teaching them to protect themselves."

"That's not going to be easy." I twist my lips. Nothing is ever this easy. I'm sure the other shoe will drop. I just hope it's after they get a few days to breathe and process the whole thing.

"I know it's not. But they need to know. And it could prevent something like this from happening again. I'm sure evil douchebag over there has friends who want the stones as well."

"True. We need to find the other stones too. I wish we had pictures or something." I sigh.

"Mom's going to dig some up and the sales receipts tomorrow so we can track them down and get them back. She used to take pictures of everything she sold, so there should be some pictures included. Hopefully it will be quick work and we can get Beck some answers on his siblings and then destroy the stones once and for all."

"Yeah, we don't want the mages to go after anyone else because they think they've still got dragons in them or something." The floor above our heads creaks and both Jem and I look upward. Footsteps shuffle and Ann appears at the bottom of the steps. She takes in the scene in front of her and nods.

"Good. You've got him secured." She walks forward, placing her hand on the lock on the door to the cell. "I'm going to add my own layer and then I want us to channel together and create a layer with our powers combined."

Jem and I nod, and Beck steps back from the cell, his eyes weary as Ann works her magic.

"We would never harm you, Beck." I place a hand on his arm to soothe his nerves.

"I know you wouldn't harm me, mate. It's just a reflex. I haven't had the best experience with witches." He rubs his large hand up and down my back and warmth spreads through me at his touch.

"We’ll just have to change that then." I smile up at him.

Ann finishes up her spell and I step out of Beck's embrace, the action harder than I would have thought. It's like I'm stuck to him with glue, and as I try to pull away, something's pulling me back, unwilling to let us separate completely.

Ann, Jem, and I form a circle, holding hands, and we all let go of the reins on our energy. Wind picks up in the room as our power crackles through the air like an electrical current. Together we focus our thoughts on the lock and the cell as a whole. The bars of the cell shake, metal clanging as the magic infuses them. Each bar glows a deep red before reverting back to a plain iron color.

One by one we ground ourselves, sending the excess magic back into the earth and thanking her for allowing us to use her energy. I crack my neck, trying to relieve the built-up tension there. So much magic in one room is a potent and powerful thing and not something that we do often as it would upset the balance of nature. But in this case, it's necessary.

"Well, if he escapes that, we deserve whatever he throws at us." I crack the joke hoping to lighten the mood. Ann and Jem guffaw and Beck cracks a smile.

"We should all get some rest, I think. We've got a long journey ahead of us." Ann looks pointedly at all of us in with her best mom face.

"I am so ready for that."

"Me too," Jem adds.

"Do we have a plan on what we're going to tell Emma and Zoey? I'm assuming they have dragon blood as well and will need to be taught to protect themselves. Did you get any magical vibes from Emma? She's an adult, so either she's dormant or she was never told," I say.