Bound by Magic (10 page)

I
dropped
Annia off at her apartment in Maintown, then passed by Lakin’s house on the way home to tell him about the underground ring and that we had tickets for tomorrow night. He wasn’t home, so I picked the lock on the front door and left a note for him on his refrigerator with the details and my phone number – I wasn’t about to leave sensitive information like that on his doorstep.

I considered going to the Palace and telling the Chief Mage about what I’d found, but he had a lot on his mind and I didn’t want to burden him when I didn’t actually need his help yet. I would tell him when the time was right, probably after I went to the fighting ring myself tomorrow. So instead I headed home to resume my study of the
Residah.

The phone started ringing almost as soon as I walked into my apartment, and I scowled. Not a single phone call in weeks, and now I was getting two in as many days?

You left Lakin your phone number, remember? He’s probably just calling you back.

Oh! Right. My mood lifted, and I quickly crossed the room to snatch up the phone.

“Hey! Thanks for calling me back.”

“I wasn’t aware you’d tried to contact me.” I nearly dropped the phone at the dry sound of my cousin Rylan’s voice. “Maybe you sent me a note to explain why you recklessly endangered yourself on the Firegate Bridge today?”

“You have
got
to be kidding me,” I exploded, the initial pleasure at hearing the sound of my cousin’s voice evaporating as he reminded me of the terrorist attack Iannis and I had thwarted. “You’re scolding me for saving hundreds of people today after
you
put them all in danger just to make a political statement? How fucking dare you!”

“I didn’t organize the attack on the bridge!” Rylan protested sharply. “If I had, I would have made sure to keep civilians out of harm’s way. Believe it or not, I don’t actually have a hand in
everything
the Resistance does.”

“Maybe not, but you knew about it, didn’t you?” I charged bitterly. “You could have sent out a warning or something, instead of keeping me in the dark about a potential mass murder.”

“I’m a soldier in this army, Naya,” Rylan said defensively. “It’s my job to follow orders, not make up my own. And you’re making my job really difficult by throwing yourself in harm’s way.

“Oh, well I’m so sorry about that,” I spat. “I’ll be more considerate the next time I have to evacuate several hundred civilians from a bridge that’s about to explode.”

“Naya –”

“Save it,” I snapped. “I don’t need to hear another lecture about your noble and glorious cause. How about you tell me something useful for once? Have you found out anything about the Benefactor like I asked you to?”

“I’ve had bigger things to worry about recently,” Rylan snapped back, “and so do you, Naya.”

“Why?” I demanded. “What aren’t you telling me?”

“All I’m going to say is that you need to watch your back. You’re painting a big target on it every time you interfere with the Resistance’s plans.”

“Gee, thanks. I’ll make sure to grow a second pair of eyes out of the back of my head.”

“Are you planning on accompanying the Chief Mage to the Convention this year?” Rylan asked, ignoring my sarcasm.

“No.” I blinked at the change of subject. “Why?’

“I highly suggest you don’t, if you value your life.”

“And just what is that supposed to mean?”

“Exactly what it sounds like. And trust me Naya, if you warn the Chief Mage about this, the Resistance will definitely consider you an enemy of the people and treat you accordingly.”

“This is unbelievable! Rylan, just tell me what’s going on –”

“Goodbye, little cousin. I hope you make the right choice.”

The phone went dead, and I had a feeling Rylan wouldn’t be calling me again. By Magorah, but what had happened to him? Of all my family, he was the only one I’d been truly close with, mainly because we both shared a rebellious streak. But the Rylan who’d run off to join the Resistance had still believed in the idea of true justice, and would never have put his support behind an organization that condoned terrorist attacks and senseless destruction. Bombing the Firegate Bridge was both, and I just couldn’t understand how Rylan could possibly be okay with killing all those people.

I set the receiver back down in its cradle, then stared at it, wondering if I should call the Palace to warn the Chief Mage, or tell him in person. There was no way I could leave Iannis in the dark about something like this. On the one hand, Rylan’s warning had been vague – he could have simply meant that if I came along and interfered in whatever the Resistance had planned that they would kill me. But now that I knew what the Resistance was capable of, the Chief Mage’s life might be in some kind of danger.

It’s probably better not to call,
I thought. I didn’t know if the Resistance had a way of monitoring my phone calls, but considering their resources were growing, I couldn’t discount the possibility. No, it was better for me to go in person.

But just as I was reaching for my jacket, someone started pounding at my door.

“Sunaya!” A familiar voice shrieked, and I froze – it was my cousin Melantha, Mafiela’s oldest and most favored child. “Sunaya Baine, open this door right now!”

Annoyed and alarmed all at once, I strode over to the door and glared through the peephole. Sure enough, Melantha stood there, dressed in a dark blouse and a pair of jeans, her blonde hair perfectly curled around the diamond-shaped face that was so very much like her mother’s. And like her mother, we hated each other passionately, something that distance and time clearly hadn’t lessened, as her yellow eyes were burning with rage.

“What the fuck do you want?” I snarled as I yanked the door open.

“You bitch!” Melantha shrieked, launching herself at me with her claws outstretched. I was so surprised that I didn’t move out of the way fast enough, and she knocked me to the ground. I yowled as her claws raked across my face, leaving a burning trail of fire and blood. “You’re going to pay for this!”

“What are you talking about?” I shouted, raising my arms to block the blows. Blood streamed down my forearms as she shredded my skin with her claws, and I hissed at the pain from the deep gashes. Pissed, I bucked my hips hard and twisted my body, flipping us over and pinning her to the ground. “Pay for
what
?”

“My daughter is gone!” Melantha howled, tears streaming from her blazing eyes. “They’ve taken Mika, and it’s all your fault!”

“What?” I recoiled, completely dumbstruck. That couldn’t be right. The mysterious man, whoever he was, had only called yesterday. They couldn’t have followed through on their threat so soon!

“She’s been gone since this afternoon, and I know it’s your fault!” Melantha snarled, and then she kicked me in the chest, sending me flying back several feet. One of my ribs crunched, and I cried out in pain.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” I growled, struggling to my feet. Normally Melantha wouldn’t have been able to wipe the floor with me like this, but her announcement about Mika had shocked the shit out of me, giving her the upper hand. “She hasn’t been gone for twenty-four hours yet and you’re already calling her missing? How do you know she didn’t just go out with some friends?”

“Because she told me she was going out to the backyard to work on her homework, and the next thing I knew she was gone!” Melantha jumped to her feet, claws extended as she bared her fangs at me. “Mother told me that you came to our house with a warning this morning. I should have known you were too selfish to do as the man asked and stop meddling in whatever mess you’ve gotten yourself into!” She rushed me again.

“THAT’S ENOUGH!” I shouted, flinging an arm out. Blue-green flames ignited around my fist, and Melantha skidded to a halt, fear flashing in her yellow eyes. She hissed at the sight of the flame in my hand, but shrank back – like all shifters, she was afraid of magic, and unlike me she didn’t have mage blood running through her veins to help counteract the instinct to run away.

“You’re an abomination,” she spat at me. “Your life should have been terminated while you were still in the womb!”

“Shut the fuck up before I burn you to a crisp,” I snapped, my body trembling with rage and pain. “I’m sorry about your daughter, Melantha, and I’ll do my best to find her. But if you don’t get out of my apartment right now, I’m going to kill you.”

“May Magorah curse you and all your progeny!” she snarled, and then slammed the door behind her as she left.

I shook my head as I slumped to the ground. With the way my life was going right now, I wasn’t going to have any progeny to curse.

I
shifted
into beast form to heal my wounds, then tried to get some shuteye, but I was too distressed to sleep. So instead, I left my apartment, still in panther form, and trotted down to Lakin’s house in Shiftertown. I was too hungry and tired to shift back, but I needed to know what he was doing to find my cousin’s daughter.

By the time I reached Lakin’s house, my tail was dragging from exhaustion, but I managed to reach up on my hind legs and press the doorbell with my paw. I dropped back down onto all fours, then sat on his front step as I wearily waited for him to answer.

“Who is it?” he called through the door, sounding tired. “This isn’t exactly the best time.”

“It’s me
,” I said, using mindspeech to communicate.
“Please, Boon, let me in.”

“Naya?” There was a click, and then Lakin opened the door, shock on his lean face that quickly melted into sympathy. “Are you here about Mika?”

“Yes,”
I said, and he stepped aside so I could come in.
“Melantha just came by my house for a visit.”

“Shit,” Lakin muttered as he shut the door behind me. “I hope she didn’t trash your apartment. I know all about how crazy mothers can get when their young are in danger.”

“The apartment’s fine, thanks.”
I hopped up onto the stuffed green couch – a new addition – and curled up, resting my chin on top of my paws.

Lakin paused at the annoyance in my words. “I didn’t mean to imply I wasn't concerned for your own well-being,” he said gently, coming to sit next to me on the couch. He stroked a hand hesitantly over my fur, reminding me of how Iannis had done the same back on the bridge. “You seem exhausted. I’m guessing you had to heal yourself?”

“
Yeah,”
I admitted with a little sigh.
“And I already hadn’t eaten. Guess it’s going to take me awhile to recharge.”

“Let me get you some food,” Lakin said, standing up. “You need the fuel.”

My stomach twisted at the idea of eating, but I knew I wasn’t in any position to turn down food. My fridge was empty, and I wasn’t going to make it to the Palace tonight to raid their kitchens. Eating while I was already there was one thing, but I’d never live it down if Iannis discovered I was making trips to the Palace just for a meal.

Lakin came back with a huge stainless steel bowl filled with steaks, and my stomach growled at the scent of raw meat. My beast half took over, pouncing on the bowl as Lakin set it down on the ground, and I ripped into the meat with savage intensity. Lakin said nothing, simply sat on the couch and watched as I devoured the steaks, and I kept my own gaze focused on my food, not wanting to see the pity in his eyes.

“Feeling better?” he asked after I’d finished and laid myself down on the floor.

“Yes.”
Not completely of course – my heart was still a roiling mass of emotion – but the weight of food in my belly helped calm me a little. I raised my eyes to Lakin’s.
“Thank you. I’m sorry for intruding like this.”

“It’s not a problem,” Lakin said gently. “You’ve had a rough day.”

He didn’t know how rough. And I wasn’t going to tell him – the phone call from Rylan wasn’t really Lakin’s business, and there was nothing Lakin could do about it anyway. I was just going to have to tell Iannis when I saw him next, and as Rylan said, watch my back.

“So have you found anything?”
I asked.
“Any clue as to who might’ve taken Mika?”

“The only clue is that phone call you received yesterday,” Lakin said, his lips thinning. “I canvassed the neighborhood, but nobody saw who took Mika. The only lead we have right now is that fighting ring you’ve dug up.”

“Got it. You’re coming with us to the Shifter Royale tomorrow, right?”

“Of course. I wouldn’t miss out on the chance to investigate such an important lead.”

I got to my feet, then turned my mind inward and reached for the human half of me so I could shift back. I had enough food in my belly, but mentally I was so exhausted that by the time I finished I collapsed onto the couch next to Lakin.

“Do you need a place to crash?” Lakin asked, studying me with concern. “Sometimes it can be tough to be alone in situations like this.”

“Thanks, but it’s not necessary.” I shook my head, smiling a little. “I’ve been alone long enough that I’ve figured out how to deal.”

“Just because you’ve figured out how to be alone doesn’t mean you have to be,” Lakin said softly. He cupped my cheek with his hand, and my heart started beating faster at the tender look in his eyes.