“Raven, what the fuck?” Alaric sounded panicked, but I blocked him out.
The sentient magic locked inside me purred in excitement. It knew exactly what to do.
I stood, eyes closed, as my hybrid magic read the intentions of those who wanted to hurt me and mine and acted accordingly.
Horrified screams filled the darkness.
I pushed my magic further, sensing those who lurked out of sight and dealing with them too. Eventually my energy faded and I stumbled, but muscular arms caught me.
“They’re all dead,” Alaric said, his mouth agape. “What kind of magic does this?” Goddess, was that fear I heard in his voice?
I tried to open my eyes to see what he saw, but exhaustion cloaked me like a heavy blanket.
“Rest, little mate.” The scent of my bear—damp forest and fresh pine—filled my nose. “Let us take care of you.”
27
Alaric
Igazed around at the piles of bodies and then at my soul-bonded mate. Maverick had appeared from nowhere, arms and chest covered in blood, still naked after shifting.
“Wow,” Zane breathed out. Unlike me, he seemed happy about the carnage.
The vamp and the merman arrived a few minutes later, followed by a huge mountain of a man. My eyes narrowed at the stranger. He, too, was naked.
For fuck’s sake, would it be too much effort to put some pants on?
“You’re going to have to get used to seeing dicks swing free, vanilla popsicle.” Zane smirked at me before stalking over to a shriveled corpse. “It’s like she sucked all the life from them.”
“I don’t have to get used to anything,” I muttered to myself. If I had my way, the witch and I would ditch these morons and go live somewhere peaceful, away from my father’s influence.
Fuck knows where he’d disappeared to. He must have left via a portal the minute shit went sideways.
“We need to go before my father sends reinforcements,” I said. He might already have called on Mage Council security operatives. Those assholes could arrive at any time.
“No, I have to find what I came for,” the big dude rumbled.
I recalled Raven’s plea that we help the other magicals trapped down here and sighed. Fuck my life. She would never forgive me if I left innocents in this hellhole. At least I could access my magic now. If the Mage Council did send reinforcements, I'd deal with them.
“There are others here, including a vampire,” I told the guys. Rasmus was at my side in a heartbeat.
“Why didn’t you say so?” The bastard looked like he wanted to tear my throat out, but I held my ground. He couldn’t hurt me now that I’d sealed the bond with my witch.
“I’m telling you now, aren’t I?”
“Where are they?”
“No idea, but we should spread out and check all the cells. There may be more than one level to this place. I didn’t exactly get offered a guided tour.”
“Too busy fucking my pet, eh?” The incubus winked.
“Jealous?” I sneered.
“Fuck no! I love to share my pretty pet, oh stormy one.” He closed his eyes and sighed happily. “Your lust is…chef’s kiss,Fritz.”
“My lust is none of your fucking business, you fucking pervert!” Sparks formed and I threw a bolt of lightning at Zane, but the asshole blinked out of the way, cackling like the lunatic he was.
“Enough!” Maverick growled, still holding my mate, which irritated the fuck out of me. She should be with me, nothim. Or any of them. “My little mate needs peace and rest. She’s exhausted, and you fuckers are not helping!”
