Magic Resistant (33 page)

Seconds later, he was standing in a narrow
hallway. The electric scones lining the walls gave it a more
medieval feel as did the exposed brick walls. He jogged after them,
refusing to let Julia out of his sight.

Past the living room and a kitchen, they made
a beeline for one of the bedrooms. Jackson had never been in the
private quarters of Keeper and he honestly didn’t care what it
looked like. He wanted Julia healed. He could’ve been walking
through the fiery pits of a demon dimension and it wouldn’t have
mattered to him.

It took a few moments for them to reach
Keeper’s guest bedroom. At least it seemed to be the guest room as
there were no personal touches at all. The walls had landscape
paintings. A pale purple bedspread on the bed. The nightstand
decorated with a single lamp. And the top of the dresser bare.

Markus began explaining the situation when
Keeper interrupted him.

“I felt it when it happened. Lie her down
here.” He gestured to the low twin bed. “I already have the stone
prepared to mentally connect to her. It’ll help her drop the wall.
Once that happens, be ready with your strongest healing spells.
Markus, we’ve practiced this. You know what to watch for.” His
faint British accent gave him a cultured, knowledgeable air.

Markus and Keeper moved to the right side of
the bed while Jackson took up residence on the left. Julia centered
in the middle, within easy reach of all three men.

“What in the nine hells is going on? Why
aren’t we bringing her to the healers?” Jackson couldn’t hold his
tongue any longer. This was literally a matter of life and
death.

“Julia’s special. Things you don’t know would
affect any treatment given to her. This is the only way. Now,
you’re either going to help us or get the hell out of our way.”
Keeper snapped at him. Fear and worry bled from his voice. Keeper
and Julia knew each other?

“I’ll help. And if she dies because you
wouldn’t take her to the healers, I will kill both of you. I don’t
care how powerful you are.” Jackson glared at them. The two most
powerful mages of the Coterie, barring perhaps Mara and Roan, and
he meant every word he said.

“I would expect no less.” Markus replied
without a hint of emotion. Despair shadowed his eyes as he glanced
at Julia. Tenderly, he ran his fingertips across her cheek before
clenching them into a tight fist.

“I’m ready to link with her. As soon as the
wall drops, Markus, cast. Don’t waste a second. How long it stays
down is anybody’s guess.” Keeper knelt down next to the bed and
placed a flat, grey stone on her forehead. His hands rested on top
of the small rock.

A meditative chant flowed from him, filling
the room with its power. His voice, a soothing, peaceful oasis,
helped calm Jackson’s tightly wound nerves. Neck muscles still
throbbing from the stress, he wondered if he’d lose Julia so soon
after finding her.

Gazing at her, realized he had no idea what
they were talking about.

What wall? How would he find it?

Chapter
Twenty-Seven

JULIA SAT ON the
rocky beach overlooking the lake. Tall trees surrounded the area,
standing on guard like majestic sentinels, towering high above the
water. A loon cried in the distance. Its haunting call answered by
its mate. Pines, oaks and brush grew thick and untamed. A riot of
colour splashed across the forest as autumn encroached on summer.
Leaves were turning red, orange and yellow. Vivid green from the
pines intermingled with the oaks.

The ground itself rocky with a thin layer of
dirt. Moss and dead vegetation covered the massive boulders.
Patches of wild blueberries thrived throughout the forest, any
berries left behind by the birds now overripe and scattered on the
soil. Tiny, overgrown trails cut through the underbrush made by
small animals.

The lake placid and serene, the sun glinting
off its greenish blue water. Insects buzzed around leafy fronds,
dodging croaking frogs and jumping fish. A small creek drained from
the lake, weaving down its own rocky path, worn by centuries of
movement. The second, smaller pond was stagnant and overrun with
vegetation. Choked with weeds, lily pads and pussy willows only
insects thrived. Fish had long since died out. Marshy grass ringed
the water, making it almost impossible to approach.

She loved coming here. The tranquility seeped
into her bones, relaxing her, releasing all her worries. She melted
into Jackson’s embrace, her back against his solid chest, savouring
the feel of his arms around her. Smiling, she took pleasure in
listening to Jackson, Markus and Keeper talk about inconsequential
things, just everyday patter.

The bright sun shone overhead, no clouds to
mar the perfect beauty of the blue sky. Tilting her face upwards,
she soaked up the sun’s rays and let her mind drift. Birds chirped
and called to one another.

She never wanted this moment to end, wanted
to stay here forever.

“Julia... Julia... Julia!” Faint at first,
someone called her name. The voice became louder with each shout,
more insistent. Trying to ignore it, she grabbed for the serenity
of this place, wanting to hold on tight. It shattered with another
loud yell of her name.

She looked around, trying to pinpoint the
location of the call. No one else seemed to notice it as they
continued talking. Sighing, she closed her eyes and tried to
pretend nothing was amiss. Snuggling deeper into Jackson’s arms,
she used him as a warm shield against any intrusions. This was her
place, her special place, and she didn’t want anything to ruin
it.

“Julia, answer me! I know you’re here. Help
me find you.” The voice continued on, unrelenting, crushing her
peace.

She wanted to rest, to drift along with no
worries to drag her down. Who in the nine hells was calling her
name? What did they want?

“Julia, please, answer me!” The voice sounded
closer... and familiar. Frowning, she tried to place the voice, to
remember who it belonged to. The effort seemed too great and she
pushed the thought away.

Please leave me alone, let me stay
here
. She begged
. I want to stay here. Don’t want to go. I’m
happy here. Leave me alone. Don’t ruin it.

“Julia.” The voice was now right next to her.
If she opened her eyes and acknowledged him, her world would
splinter apart. “Open your eyes, Julia. You can’t ignore me. I
won’t let you. Open your eyes.”

A command she couldn't resist. So many years
she'd listening to him, obeyed him. Sighing deeply, she pried her
eyelids apart and glanced upwards. A face as familiar to her as her
own stared at her. His hazel eyes shadowed with sorrow and a pain
she didn’t understand. A gentle breeze ruffled his hair, sending
some of the reddish brown strands across his forehead. He absently
brushed them away, his gaze never wavering from hers.

“Keeper. Why are you here? You’re already
over there, talking to Markus.” She pointed to where the first
Keeper sat on the blanket next to her mentor. She blinked when he
dissolved, leaving nothing behind. Markus kept on talking to the
air, unconcerned with the disappearing act.

“What in the nine hells is going on? Am I
dead?” She demanded, fear snaking up her spine. She tried hard to
remember what lead her to this point, but things were fuzzy. It was
hard to recall any specific moment or event, as if it all floated
underwater, little minnows darting out of her reach.

“Not yet. But if you don’t help me, you soon
will be. I have Markus and Jackson waiting for us to lower your
resistance so they can heal you. If we don’t do it quickly, it’ll
be too late.”

What he said was important. However, no sense
of urgency spurred her. What did it matter if they healed her? She
liked it better on the lake. She didn’t have to hide who she was,
what she was. Better to stay here. This Jackson loved and accepted
all of her. He didn’t feel torn between his duty as an Enforcer and
as the man who loved her.

“No. Leave me here. I’m not going to lower my
resistance.” She mulishly stared at him, knowing he’d try to change
her mind.

“Julia, you have to. Jackson and Markus are
crying over your body. You didn’t see how broken up they were.
Markus threatened to kill the entire Coterie council if you die.
Jackson threatened to kill both Markus and I. It’ll be a bloodbath
and you know it.” He knelt down beside her, pleading with her to
see reason.

Did she want to see reason though? What did
she have to look forward to if she agreed? More years of lies and
deceit, always wondering if she would slip up.

“I don’t care. I’m sick of it. So damn sick
of hiding. It’s not my fault the mages are a bunch of paranoid
assholes. And I know they won’t change their tune any time soon.
There's been centuries of hatred, so don’t try to give me a song
and dance about it getting better. We both know it won’t.”

“I’ve been hiding it too.”

She tilted her head, confused.

He continued, “I’m magic resistant. That’s
how I knew what you were.”

Julia reeled from this bombshell. All this
time, she never guessed he was like her. He was one the highest
respected mages in their society.

And would become one of the most hated if
they ever found out.

Those he helped as Keeper of All Knowledge
would turn on him in a heartbeat. She’d heard the rabid fanaticism,
seen the hatred firsthand. She knew how they’d react. That’s why
she fought hard every single day to hide her true self and she was
sick of it.

“Jackson won’t reject you. I’ve seen the love
he has for you and he’s no longer blinded by the dogma of the
Coterie. Come back to him. Come back to us. Please. Please, don’t
leave us.”

Her heart broke as he begged. She’d never
seen Keeper so full of despair. She couldn’t bare to think about
how Jackson was handling this, or Markus.

Damn, how could she be so selfish? If it’d
been one of them instead of her, she’d be pleading too.

“I’m sorry.” She sorrowfully whispered.

A tear slid down Keeper’s face as he thought
she was still rejecting his help. She lifted her hand to wipe away
the wetness. “I didn’t mean to cause you so much pain. Help me
lower the resistance. I don’t want to die.”

Fierce joy lit up his face. He grabbed her
hand and squeezed tight.

“The wall surrounds us, keeping you locked
into this one spot. Can you see it past the trees?” He motioned to
the brick wall in the distance, noticeable above the trees. She
surveyed the area, observing the complete circle it made around
them. She didn’t know if there were any openings, but she doubted
it. It was always rock solid each time she had examined her own
personal fortress, the one she never wanted.

“Okay, so we need to drop it. I’ve never seen
it this big before. Usually it’s the size of a garden wall. Can we
do this?” Now that she decided she wanted to live, she was antsy to
get started.

They didn’t have much time.

Already a strange drowsiness stole over her.
She had to fight to keep focused. Her body was shutting down, dying
while Jackson and Markus waited to heal her. The helplessness of
waiting, unable to do anything until her resistance was forced out
of the way. The fear and frustration as they watched her slip
away
.

A stray thought swam to the surface of her
mind, something about her resistance, but before she could grasp
it, the thought floated away. Frustrated, she shook her head and
centered her attention on Keeper.

“We both need to concentrate our energy on
forcing it down. Since I’m used to working with my own wall, I’ll
be able to follow your lead. We need to be quick. Time’s running
out.” Keeper held her hand tight and she could feel him lending her
energy, pushing it into her as hers faded away. Seizing onto his
energy, she fought the weakness in her psyche.

And almost cried in disappointment as the
wall refused to budge. She always viewed her resistance as an
obstacle to overcome, a barrier between her and the rest of the
world. Now, it literally was a barrier, one that would kill her if
she didn’t find a way to break it, to smash it. She needed to
conquer her resistance, make it a part of her instead of an
external force that ruled her life and, quite possibly, her
death.

Sweat beaded on her forehead as she tried to
join with Keeper, to open her mind to his. She wanted to scream
when nothing happened.

"Why isn't this working?" She grounded out,
barely able to speak due to her intense concentration.

"You're trying too hard. You need to relax.
Open your mind to mine. Accept my help. Just let it all flow
through you. Once you relax, the barrier will come down."

She heard his words but had a hard time
understanding them. Relax? This wasn't a day at the spa. She was
dying. The coldness of death seeped into her limbs, lethargy
coating her mind. There wasn't much time left.

As she contemplated her death, an odd
peacefulness descended upon her and in that moment she understood
what Keeper meant. She needed to embrace all parts of herself, to
use his energy as if it were her own and not borrowed. Needed to
control her resistance as she would a limb. Her subconscious needed
to lower it, not her conscious mind. She floated between
wakefulness and sleep, drifting along the tranquil waves.

Keeper’s words scarcely registered, telling
her the barrier was dropping.

His voice a mere whisper in her ear as he
said "Heal her now, while it's down. You don't have much time."

All sound ceased and the world around her
went dark.

Chapter
Twenty-Eight

JACKSON HEARD THE
urgency in Markus’ voice as he barked out, “Heal her. Heal her now
damn it, before we lose her. Use your biggest healing.”

Before he’d finished speaking, Jackson pulled
energy into himself, visualizing the end goal. He wanted Julia
awake and healthy again. He needed her to live. His heart deeply
entwined with hers.