Cast A Spell (Mages and Mates #4)

15. Otto

Otto

I hadn’t meant to be so irritated with them, but it didn’t make sense. Granted, I wasn’t a world class inquisitor like Avie or even Leo, but I wasn’t a simpleton, either. Why would the guardians, whose location was so secret even the mage chancellor didn’t know where they lived, take steps that shouted, “We’re here!” louder than if they used a megaphone?

“You are mistaken,” Gio said. “We’ve done nothing to alert anyone to our true identities. To the world we are just two old unicorns who’ve lived in this house for centuries.”

“No one would mistake Percival for a unicorn,” I said, not trying to hide how ridiculous his answer sounded.

“They do when I wear my glamour.” Percy waved a hand in front of his chest and his aura changed.

Even knowing who and what he was, I saw a unicorn. Tapping into my stone, I still couldn’t piece his disguise. I didn’t even detect a whiff of magic. “How is this possible?”

“There are few things you can’t do if you have enough time to try,” Percy said. “It has allowed us to hide in plain view.”

Having watched Bart and Leo create a spell in a few days that made everyone ignore us, I accepted the impossible could be done. I plugged those new facts into my calculations, but I still didn’t see how this would save Owen and Lysandor. “All of this is very interesting, but it doesn’t explain why we shouldn’t go free our brothers.”

“Jalen is approaching our village,” Gio said. “Percy is going to take control of Jalen, and we’re going to use him to gain access to their camp and free your brothers.”

Gio raised an eyebrow and stared at me. I’d had shade cast on me before, but this was masterful. “Fine. You have my attention.”

“When Jalen reaches the outskirts of our village, he’ll make noise to attract our attention,” Percy said. “Gio and I will go meet him. I’ll invite him and some of his men back to our house. If he declines, I’ll take control of him at that point and make him agree.”

This was borderline black magic, but despite my surprise, I didn’t react. What that said about my own ethics I didn’t want to explore at the moment. “How soon until they get here?”

“Soon,” Percy said. “But you have time to finish eating. As we said, you’re going to need your strength.”

Thal and I ate as if the food had no taste, quickly cleaning our plates. Before we could clear the table, a harsh, grinding sound filled the house.

“Jalen has arrived,” Gio said. “It’s time for him to learn some hard truths.”

“What would those be?” Thal asked.

“That we are more than we seem,” Percy said. “And that he isn’t in control of the situation. Let this play out before you ask more questions. I assure you his arrival will help us find your brothers.”

Neither Thal nor I was comfortable ceding total control like this to someone else. It didn’t matter these were Percival and Pelagios, our brother’s lives were at stake. Unfortunately, we had to trust them.

“Stay here until we call for you,” Gio said. “We need him and his guards to come inside for our plan to work.”

There was a second call, louder and more urgent. The guardians smiled at each other and left the kitchen. They appeared too cavalier given they were about to meet a mad being bent on destroying much of the world.

“Should we stay here?” Thal asked.

I shared his desire to confront Jalen and force answers from the crazy unicorn. “For the moment. Whatever they’re planning, we’d be foolish to interfere with them unless necessary.”

“I agree, but I’m not comfortable blindly following their instructions.”

The front door closed as the pair left. My anxiety grew by the second. It was irrational, but no matter how many times I reminded myself Percy was an incredibly powerful mage, I couldn’t relax.

Minutes ticked by before we heard anything.

“Old beings!” a voice I didn’t recognize said. “This is not the time to play games with me. I want the mage and unicorn hiding in your house.”

The being’s tone was angry but cautious. Whatever he had planned, he knew it was dangerous.

“We’re not hiding anyone, Jalen,” Gio said. “They’re our guests. You’d be wise not to tangle with them. Haven’t they killed enough of your warriors already?”

Thal’s eyes opened wider, but I put a hand on his arm. “I’m sure they know what they’re doing.”

At least I hoped they did.

“Don’t be fools,” Jalen said. “We’ve left you alone out of respect for Elana, but you shouldn’t count on that to save you now.”

“You left us alone because you had no choice,” Percy said. “If that’s all you wanted, you can leave now. We won’t allow you to take our guests.”

“Allow?” Jalen’s voice rose half an octave. “I don’t need your permission to take what I want. Let me end this pointless discussion. If you don’t want me to kill my prisoners, turn over the two in your care, now.”

My stone thrummed softly in my hand. If Jalen thought he could threaten our brothers with impunity, he was about to learn we Hollens protected our family. This time, Thal gently covered my hand with his.

“It’s unfolded this far, let this play out how they planned.”

I didn’t like Owen’s life depending on a gambit, but it was too late to change the plan.

“You’re right, this back and forth serves no purpose,” Percy said. A door slammed shut. “Let me tell you what’s going to happen.”

“What?” Fear laced Jalen’s words. “You’re a mage?”

“Indeed,” Percy said. “And you’re now our prisoner.”

“Fools,” Jalen spat. “You’ve killed the two younglings.”

I’d heard enough. Bursting from the kitchen with my stone extended, I stopped so fast, Thal ran into me.

Jalen and three guards struggled against the circles of translucent energy that bound them. He glared at us before his lips twisted into a wicked sneer. “I’ve just given the signal for my unicorns to destroy the village.”

“Have you?” Gio raised an eyebrow. “Perhaps you should ask for confirmation.”

The triumphant expression flagged and quickly turned into the look of a cornered being. He closed his eyes and his brow furrowed. His breathing turned ragged, and he glared at the guardians. “What have you demons done?”

“Interesting that a being controlled by a demon accuses us of being one,” Percy said. “This house prevents you from communicating with anyone outside. Why do you think we lured you here?”

He put his stone to Jalen’s head and the gem glowed internally. Whatever he’d done, Jalen looked in extreme pain. He opened his mouth, but no sound emerged. The other unicorns struggled against their bonds, but Gio waved a stick in front of their noses, and they stopped.

Percy frowned when he removed his stone. “Such a fetid mind. He’s been completely corrupted by the darkness.”

“Do you know where they’re holding our brothers?” Thal asked.

“I do.” Percy flicked his stone and Jalen joined the others in standing rigid inside their bonds. “I also know thirty unicorns guard them and how to release them from their bonds.”

Thirty wasn’t going to be a problem. Getting there undetected might. “You have a plan?”

“Yes,” Percy said. “Give us a moment to secure our prisoners.”

He and Gio moved the guards to a large couch in the middle of the room. Once they’d been seated, Percy’s stone flared and the trio closed their eyes. Jalen stood with a vacant expression. It didn’t appear he knew what was happening.

“What about him?” Thal asked.

“We need to take him with us,” Gio said. “He’ll stay here until we leave.”

In his current state, Jalen wasn’t a threat. Taking him along, however, added an unnecessary risk. “Why can’t he stay with his unicorns?”

“The bindings holding your brothers are keyed to his fingers,” Percy said. “As much as I loathe this being, I’m not prepared to cut off his hand to free the boys.”

I didn’t condone dismembering a living being, but Jalen came close to changing my mind. The thought of Owen and Lysandor in a hostile camp surrounded by our enemies, filled me with a rage I’d never felt. Thal pushed similar emotions through our connection.

Our bond was still in its infancy, and I didn’t know whether or how much we influenced each other. The fury at Jalen, however, was mutual. Thankfully, Percy and Gio weren’t affected by the depth of our emotions.

“You told us you have a plan,” I said. They’d better because mine would be to drag a dead Jalen along with me and use his body to free my brother.

“We do,” Gio said. “Percy has taken control of Jalen’s mind. You and Percy will pretend to be his prisoners, while Thalion and I pretend to be two of his guards. We will carry you both. If anyone asks, the others were killed in the fight.”

“Your plan is to ride into their camp?” Thal voiced my skepticism.

“Don’t sound so surprised,” Percy said.

For someone about to charge into the heart of our enemy’s territory, he was too carefree for my liking. I needed facts and hard evidence to convince me the improbable could be done. “Why not? It sounds like a suicide run.”

“Not at all,” Percy said. “The darkness that controls these unicorns has damaged their ability to think clearly. They’ll believe whatever Jalen tells them.”

“And because Percy controls Jalen, he’ll convince them we’re members of his herd,” Gio said. “Trust we will make it to your brother’s side.”

Sarah Pederson once told me, “If it’s too good to be true, it’s a shit sandwich.” Like so much else with her, it was colorful and accurate.

“Do you think this plan will succeed?” Thal asked.

He wanted assurances I couldn’t give him. We had no choice but to trust Gio and Percy. I didn’t know where Owen and Lysandor were being held or how they were being restrained. “I don’t know, but they seem confident.”

“Can you give me and Otto some time to discuss this in private?” Thal asked.

“Of course,” Gio said. He pointed toward a staircase to a second floor. “There’s a guest room to the left of the stairs. Take your time.”

Gio’s offer to talk as much as we needed didn’t seem to sit well with his mate. His disapproving expression, however, didn’t turn into an active protest. Thal led the way up the steps.

The worn stone stairs were rounded at the edges from centuries of use. Each step had a dip in the center where countless feet had tread over the ages. As we climbed, I ran my hand along the smooth wooden railing, polished by the oils of many hands. We turned left at the top as instructed and passed through an arched wooden door with an iron handle shaped like a unicorn’s horn.

Inside, a large four-poster bed dominated the space, draped in embroidered blankets and piled high with pillows. A carved wooden wardrobe and dresser were tucked against one wall next to a small writing desk. This had probably been Elana’s room as a child.

Thal shut the door and let out a heavy sigh. His violet eyes were filled with concern and fear. “Despite their assurance, this sounds crazy. Can Percy really control Jalen enough to have him release our brothers?”

I sat on the edge of the bed and patted the space beside me. Some of the tension left his shoulders as he joined me. I took his hand in mine. Nothing had changed but I felt more confident knowing we were together. “It’s risky, but I doubt there’s a better option. We need Jalen to release Owen and Lysandor. Percy might have half joked about cutting off Jalen’s hands, but there’s no guarantee that’ll work.”

“You’re right. I just wish there was another way.”

I squeezed my fingers around his. “We’ll get them back.”

It wasn’t false bravado. I couldn’t lie to him and I wasn’t. We would get our brothers home safely. The only question is what it would cost me and Thalion. I’d already tacitly consented to Percy using questionable magic.

“What about their plan to come with us?” Thal asked. “Aren’t they too important to risk?”

Losing any of us was risky. Either Thal and I, or Owen and Lysandor would become the next guardians. Losing one or more of us could doom the world. “Saving our siblings is too important to risk failing,” I said. “They know the land better than us. They’re our best chance of getting there and back alive. Plus, they can defend themselves.”

My logic was sound, but the consequences of being wrong were literally earth shaking. Unfortunately, we’d entered a phase where many decisions would have that impact. I just hoped I’d chosen wisely.