“Assholes,” Lucida frowned as if all this was normal. Why had I not been blessed with her ability to rationalize weird? Maybe I was just tired.

  “Exactly,” he continued. “The important part is that we will be traveling to the Horde because Colliard’s ex-wife is the only one who dares stand up to him and will provide us with the blood ink tattoos you need to practice magic.”

  I nodded and examined my unpainted nails. “Let me get this straight. All these realms exist and are reached through Earth realm portals. We intend to travel to the Fae lands, specifically the kingdom of the Horde. Colliard is an asshole. His ex-wife is awesome. And you can’t tell me anything about myself until we see your cousin who, I assume, lives in the Horde. That about sum it up?”

  “In a nutshell,” Edwin nodded.

  “Magic is real, huh?” Lucida flashed a smile. “Prove it.”

  No sooner had she spoken the words, a cold sharp wind circled me, and a phantom hand grazed my cheek and pulled my hood over my head. Kodiak swore and tugged me back as Edwin laughed. Lucida applauded. I tried not to consider what else those phantom hands could do.

  Jesus. What was wrong with me today?

  “Do something else,” Lucida commanded with avid interest.

  Edwin looked around and waved his hand toward the cabinets. I watched, fixated, as the cabinet opened, and a glass slid out into the air. It floated lightly toward the counter.

  Blue began to grin. It was one of those awful grins that let me know he was planning terrible, terrible things.

  “We should go now,” Blue commented with an edgy eagerness. “To the Horde, I mean.”

  Edwin flashed him a genuine smile. “She expects us this weekend. We have to travel to Estonia, as it is.”

  Kodiak kissed my head. I bit my lip.

  “Will we all be able to do that?” I asked, pointing to the bobbling glassware.

  Edwin tilted his head. “There are several types of mages. An alchemist mage, like myself, just has a broader reaching spectrum of powers. However, all mages have the ability to influence the world around them. They only need to focus their powers. Simple things, like moving a glass from a cabinet? That should be within all your capabilities eventually.”

  Lucida hummed. “What else can you do?”

  Edwin took a sip of his coffee and nonchalantly snapped his fingers. A paper and pen flew to the table causing me to let out a small amused sound.

  All right. So magic was cool.

  “Okay, then.” Edwin sketched out eight circles that formed an octagon shape. “Magic is an intrinsic part of our universe. Humans tend to be the outlier. Almost every other creature within the universe has some type of magic associated with it. As mages, we can harness that magic. Our human lineage doesn’t have magic but because of our Fae heritage, we can pull on those elements most natural to us and use them.”

  I tried to ignore the butterflies that fluttered at his intelligence. I had never considered myself a sapiosexual but, I think I was becoming one. He just sounded like he knew his shit and it was damned sexy. I hated that I thought it was sexy. I hated the goddamned grin on his face even more.

  Mind-reading bastard.

  “We have alchemy mages like me that have control over matter manipulation from the physical to the mental. It’s not restricted to just those, though. We have the ability to grant true immortality.”

  “I’m sorry.” Lucida’s chuckle interrupted him. “I must have misheard you.”

  Edwin continued. “You didn’t. But, trust me. Immortality isn’t that fantastic. At any rate, alchemy mages tend to be one of the more well-rounded mage groups. If you imagine the idealistic Renaissance man, that is what we are. We can do a bit of everything. From biological manipulation, reconfiguration, to creating life, and not in the fun way.”

  I snorted at that.

  “And if you consider the concept of the Renaissance man, then a blood mage is similar to someone who is talented in one specific field. Blood mages are the inspiration of many mythos including vampires, mostly because their canines become sharper upon activation of magic. They provide the magic associated with blood ink tattoos and can control, or siren blood. The blood mage community is rather,” he tapped his fingers against his chin, “demented. Yes, that works. As a unit, they get off on blood and the drinking of it. However, it is completely natural for them to feel that way due to the blood lust they exhibit.”

  My eyes shot to Blue and his terrible grin only making those unhinged eyes sparkle more. Edwin swung his gaze over in Blue’s direction. “We won’t be positive until you are given the blood ink tattoo, but I can almost guarantee that you are a blood mage. You exhibit characteristics far more prominent than a human should with just sight.”

  Lucida snorted. “Because he’s a fucking serial killer.”

  Blue laughed. Lucida did intend the snarky comment as a joke. A scary amount of truth danced under the laughter, though. My dimpled cutie was sorta psychotic. I hadn’t realized how much he, of all my boys, had been shielding me from until magic made subterfuge impossible. It brought out everyone’s innate sides.

  Kodiak pressed a kiss to my shoulder as Edwin continued. “The other six types of mages include time, metal, healing, naturalistic, ink, and elemental. The first, time mages, are extremely rare. In fact, currently, none are known to be alive. They have the unique ability to manipulate time.”

  I tilted my head. “Like five minutes into the future?”

  Edwin shook his head and grinned. “No. I am talking about someone who has the ability to jump back and forward to any point in their current realm’s time span. There is a singular restriction. They do have to be present in the realm they are manipulating because of dimensional restrictions. Additionally, they are blessed with foresight - predictions that can come in various forms from drawings to dreams. The only caveat? The predictions are usually vague.”

  “Metal mages,” Edwin continued with a pensive look, “have the ability to manipulate metal on essentially any level. They are usually gifted with weapons and their community has brought forth some of the best blacksmiths the realms have ever seen. Anything from the smallest magnets to the Earth realm space station can be altered through their reach.”

  “Healing mages have one of the strongest connections with Earth because of their use of herbs and other natural supplies for potions. They are gifted chemists, scholars, and doctors who can help humans through the use and creation of healing products. They can aid the supernatural community with merely a touch of their hands. I’ve seen a healing mage bring someone back from the brink of death. Although, once someone has died… well, the only option would be a type of mage that no longer exists.”

  “Time mages?” I offered.

  Edwin frowned. “Perhaps ‘exist’ is the wrong word. The type of mage I’m thinking about is similar to the time mages, in that none exist, but this particular type of mage is considered taboo within our history.”

  “What kind of magic could be that terrible?” Lucida wondered out loud.

  “Death magic,” he deadpanned. “Death mages, or Necromancers, have the power to bring someone back to life. They are essentially the mythos inspiration for everything from Hades to the grim reaper. But don’t let the god of death hear that. He thinks that dubious right lies with him. He’s always been an egotistical ass though, so his arrogant supposition doesn’t surprise me one bit.”

  Okay, then.

  “But bringing folks back from the dead? Why is that so awful? Why are they taboo?” I mused.

  “Think about it. They have the ability not just to bring one person back to life. They can raise whole armies of corpses from the ground with ease. That kind of power has been known to corrupt some people. After the last necromancer line was killed, they were remembered as the black sheep of the mage community. I suppose, perhaps, that is why none have been born since.”

  Edwin continued. “Naturalistic mages are the closest thing that a mage can be to a shifter. They have the ability to communicate with animals and shifter alike while in any form. While they can’t maintain it for long, they can take the physical appearance of any animal and have been known, if well-trained, to be able to manipulate the physical nature of others. This theoretically would allow that individual to shift as well.”

  I looked at Kodiak, who continued to play with my hair, racking up more possessive scowls from Blue. I didn’t mind, though. It felt good. I had a hunch that Kodiak may be a naturalistic mage, but what the hell did I know. My whole world had been turned on its ear.

  “What about ink and elemental mages?” Blue queried while pouring another cup of coffee. My eyes trailed to the rain that was now pattering down outside our Victorian. Boston had a reputation for two things. Shitty weather and traffic. She worked diligently to maintain both.

  “Ink mages,” Edwin smiled with a playful eagerness, “are essential to the furthering of the mage community. They are coveted and considered extremely special due to their talent and rarity. There aren’t many of them. While other creatures have the ability, it’s not the same as an ink mage’s ability to correctly combine the sigil and magic to become one. Along with that particular skill, they can tattoo spells of protection and other useful wards and runes on mages who are part of guard units such as the Red Masques. However, they have to be very careful what they write because ink mages can literally draw or write something into existence. If they have ink, they have power.”

  “Finally, there are the elemental mages. These mages can manipulate the elements and control the weather. Their powers are easier to understand because the concept of elemental control has become popular in mainstream Earth realm culture. The elements include everything from the traditional - fire, water, air, and earth - to electricity and ice. Most elemental mages have a preference.”

  I nodded loosely and wondered how the notion of ‘Earth realm culture’ had become something passé to me.

  “When you receive your tattoo,” he continued, “it will look similar to ours. A red masque. However, your specific sigil will form to reveal what you are. That sigil will expand to form somewhat of a second skin if you become powerful enough. It is important that you understand that the powers I have told you about are the abilities at their max. As a new mage you will need to train intensely to reach that ability. Additionally, the second skin I mentioned can expand out to serve as a second form. And for those that are too powerful, it can almost seem more natural than their basic form.”

  “Do you have a second form?” I asked curiously. The whole conversation was surreal. It almost felt like we were talking about Pokémon.

  Edwin’s lip twitched. “Yes. Yes, I do.”

  “Can we see it?” Lucida asked.

  That’s my girl. Blunt as a Louisville Slugger.

  Edwin grinned. “Maybe later. Now, do you have any questions? I plan on explaining this to the others, but I hope that was enough to cure any immediate curiosity.”

  “What about Vegas’s magic usage?” Kodiak asked with concern. I snuggled further into my grizzly bear. Always so protective. Always so thoughtful.

  Edwin sighed and ran a hand through his now-loose hair. “I can’t explain that just yet. I need Palo present and, unfortunately, he is in the Horde.”

  “When do we leave?” Blue asked and I noticed a slight bounce to his form. The fucker was way too excited about this.

  “If you are okay with it,” Edwin finished his coffee, “I was thinking Thursday.”

  “Are you going to come with?” I asked Lucida.

  She twisted her lips into a grimace. “I think I’m going to sit this one out. If I decide I want Miranda and me to be part of,” she waved her hand around, “this? Then we can figure something out later. Don’t get me wrong. I think it’s super cool, I’m just...”

  “Exhausted,” I finished her statement with an understanding smile.

  At that exact moment, Bandit strolled in, his mouth and arms stretched in a long yawn. I chuckled at Edwin’s startled expression. He always seemed to pale whenever he saw Bandit.

  Bandit’s tiny lip twitch let me know he noticed, too. Bandit wrapped his arm around my neck gently and kissed my cheek before moving to the fridge.

  “What do we want for dinner?” he asked. Bandit cooked most of our meals.

  “Magic,” Lucida clapped and smiled at me.

  Bandit’s eyebrow raised in a ridiculously high arch. “Did I miss something?”

  I snickered. “Nothing much. Just the history of everything.”

  Chapter 2

  Edwin

  My fingers tapped the steering wheel of our car as Byron stared out the window. I could feel the exhaustion radiating off him despite his nap. The coffee had helped me a little, but nothing compared to the relief of finally telling Vegas and the others something about the realm they would be entering. There was a certain degree of guilt associated with keeping her identity a secret, but it was impossible for me to accurately inform her without Palo present.

  My thoughts turned to Palo and his brother, Taylor. I sometimes wondered how it was possible we were cousins. To be fair, I sometimes wondered how the two of them were even brothers. As though my thoughts had dialed long-distance, my phone buzzed. Palo’s name appeared in the caller I.D. I engaged the car’s Bluetooth.

  Interesting little human contraption, this car.

  “Good morning!” Palo’s polished voice echoed through the speaker.

  “Still Sunday night here,” I corrected.

  I almost didn’t offer the correction. Corrections, we had found, made humans very uncomfortable and angry. But then I reminded myself. Palo wasn’t human. We tried our best to blend in, unlike other mages, but something about us just made humans uneasy. I knew it was the primal energy they instinctively sensed simmering underneath our well-crafted, but thin veneer. We were just slightly too intense for most of them.

  “When will you be leaving for Estonia?”

  “Thursday,” Byron noted, his eyes closing shut with exhaustion.

  “Good,” Palo commented. “You know, my brother is currently in Earth realm. Colorado, I believe.”

  “Why?” I asked. We pulled up toward our massive sprawling mansion. It was a near replica to the one we owned in the Horde.

  Palo chuckled softly. “A new revelation has presented itself. You may have heard a hierarchical change may be upcoming.”

  “Who?” I asked as we sat in the warm car looking up at our house. Byron got out as I continued to talk to Palo.

  “Rumor is that King Silas may have found his sister.”

  “No way,” I shook my head. “The Red Masques have been attempting to find the True Heir for years now. How in the hell could Taylor have managed it?”

  Palo hummed with humor. “They brought together the Heir Guard.”

  Silence echoed through the car.

  “Athens and Neo?” My brain fired rapidly. “To amass those powerhouses together could only mean they were actually able to locate her.”

  “My thoughts exactly,” Palo explained. “Curious that she is returning right around the time your little Vegas is heading our way, right? The fates do love some good irony.”

  I frowned. “You need to tell her, Palo, and soon.”

  “Of course,” he chided. “Now, I need to…”

  The line went dead. Not unusual for Palo. I left the car and headed toward our massive, dark front door. It would be surprising indeed if they had found the True Heir to the Horde. She had been missing for nearly two decades. Her Heir Guard consisted of five of the scariest bastards in the kingdom. I shook my head thinking about how Vegas would react if she ever met Athens or Neo.

  Vegas.

  I growled in frustration as I ran a hand through my hair. I materialized in my office. Once I was alone and shut the door, my head fell back, and my eyes closed. The stillness of our house hadn’t bothered me before, but after spending the weekend with them, it just seemed empty and lonely.

  It was because of her.

  She made me feel different. She made me want more than the lonely existence that Byron and I had imposed upon ourselves. The woman was also driving me mad. Or, should I say, madder than normal? I was quite unhinged on a good day...all by myself.

  Even if I put aside the connection I had with Vegas and the magic associated with it, I would still find myself gravitating towards her. There was nothing I didn’t like about her. She was intelligent, unintentionally sexy, sharp as a tack, and had a way of magnetizing people with ease and grace. Every time she looked at me, I got a fucking hard-on. When she had allowed me to lift her up today and hold her hand, parts of me praised every cosmos god I could think of.

  It was pathetic. I was behaving pathetically. I was the goddamned captain of a special forces unit and I was getting a hard on from holding a girl’s hand.

  Not just any girl’s hand, though. Vegas’s hand.

  The only saving grace was that I wasn’t alone. Byron, despite his confusion on how to act around her, was wholly infatuated. I had seen him with a few women over the years but there hadn’t been any real relationship to speak of. For either of us. When it came to Vegas, we simply had no fucking idea what to say, let alone do.

  I sighed before sitting at my desk and looking down at the massive text in front of me. It had been given to me by the man I had apprenticed since birth. The man who had essentially raised me. It chronicled the many different types of magic and the way they interacted. Time and time again, I got tangled in his intricate details. He had overlooked nothing.

  When the phone rang, my eyes flew to the clock. Several hours had passed. The contact number was familiar. It was Bandit. A cold shiver shot through my chest. I didn’t need any fucking magic to tell me something was off with Bandit. Besides the fact that nothing phased him, there was a distance to his actions, as if he wasn’t really one hundred percent there.

  Except with Vegas.

  His life force and actions seemed tied to hers.

  “Hello?” I turned a page in my book.

  “Edwin.” Bandit spoke with unusual tension in his voice. “You and Byron need to get here. Now.”

 

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