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The darkness was absolute as Valen exited the helicopter that had been waiting for him at the private airport outside ofCasper. The ranch was too far from civilization to be engulfed in streetlights and the only glow came from the stars splattered across the sky. Not that he needed light to see the flat, empty landscape that stretched toward the distant mountains. He could easily make out the sagebrush and prairie clover spotted over the hard ground along with the small rodents that scurried to hide in their burrows.
Pausing long enough to make sure there were no hidden dangers, Valen abruptly shivered. There was nothing in the area to threaten him, but the dull lack of magic pressed against him like an invisible weight. Witches sought out dead zones, as if sensing that the natural magic in Gyres would interfere in their spells.
It added to the impression of desolation that shrouded the barren landscape.
With a shake of his head, he crossed toward the patch of buildings that were surrounded by a barbed wire fence. His brows arched as he neared and realized the fence was ten foot tall and darkened from the residue of a powerful spell that was no longer active. A spell that had no doubt ended with the death of the witches.
What the hell had they been trying to hide? You didn’t have that level of protection unless you were determined to keep people out. Or…trying to keep people locked in.
Valen circled the fence, glancing up at the wooden sign above the gate.
Wisdom Ranch
Trespassers will be shot on sight
Blunt. At least by human standards. And yet another indication that the witches were harboring a secret.
Entering the compound through the open gate, he headed toward the red, four-wheel-drive truck parked in the center of the narrow pathway. As he passed by the front of the vehicle,he could feel the lingering warmth of the engine. It hadn’t been parked there for more than a few minutes. Gabriel had kept his word and delayed Peri’s flight long enough for Valen to get his jet prepared and in the air.
He moved forward, spotting the mage standing in front of one of the long wooden buildings. She was still wearing the shorts and T-shirt she’d been wearing in the airport, with her lush brown hair flowing freely down her back. The casual style emphasized her youth. Or perhaps it emphasized his extreme age, he wryly concluded.
He was still several feet away when she stiffened, the jade bracelet glowing around her wrist as she prepared to launch a magical attack.
“Easy, Peri,” he murmured.
She jerked around, her face pale and her eyes suspiciously red. Had she been crying? Interesting.
“Valen.” Her hands clenched at her sides, the bracelet still throbbing with unused power. She held her spell, as if debating whether to punish him for intruding into her private thoughts. At last discretion overrode her desire to lash out and the magic faded. Wise choice. “What are you doing here?”
“The same as you, I imagine.”
“Doubtful.” Her eyes narrowed. “It was your helicopter I heard.”
“Yes.”
“Did you follow me?”
Valen arched a brow. “You assume I spend my time keeping a constant eye on you?”
She flushed, but with her typical rash courage, she refused to back down. “This is my land now. You have no authority here.”
The temperature dropped until Peri shivered and wrapped her arms around her waist, but it wasn’t her defiance that caught his attention.
This is my land now…
“You knew the witches who died here.”
Another shiver. “My mother and her coven.”
Valen studied her tense features and the lack of emotion in her stunning eyes. He didn’t need his superior senses to realize she was in shock.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” Her hand pressed against her chest. “They stuck a dagger in my heart when they realized I possessed true magic.”
Ah. That explained the scar just over her heart and the chip on her shoulder. He’d always wondered.
“How old were you?”
