Cast A Spell (Mages and Mates #4)

21. Otto

Otto

T en steps beyond the village, I knew things had changed. The corruption was stronger than the day before. If I had to guess, whatever was behind this was going to test the village’s defenses. Depending on how well our charms worked, we might need a different route to the cave.

Or stronger charms.

The smooth gray stone on my chest was warm against my skin. I’d been skeptical when Owen and Percy suggested earth magic, but the theory was solid. Infuse an object with a concentrated ball of energy and create spells that allow the earth magic to push back against the demon’s efforts.

Sound concept but totally untested.

I checked the polished granite medallion around Thal’s neck to be sure his protection was working. The pressure against his wards was less than against mine. Any lingering doubts about the sentience of what we faced disappeared. It knew who and what it wanted.

“Everything working?” Thal asked.

His muscles bunched beneath me, and I was still gobsmacked that I’d get to spend my life with this amazing being. “So far. Just to alert you, it’s more interested in me than you. The attack on my charm is greater than against yours.”

“It clearly knows who’s the most dangerous.”

The idea it could instantly discern who was the most powerful was concerning. Under those conditions, Owen would be at extreme risk.

I mulled how to deal with this new information as Thal broke into an easy gallop. The sun was still behind the mountains, but it promised to be a warm day when it cleared the peaks. I wanted to be back in the village before the afternoon sun beat down on us.

Thal, however, was enjoying the open space as compared to the confines of the village. We were like chalk and cheese in that regard. I loved the bustle of a capital city, the political intrigue, and the game of navigating all currents. The petty office gossip was mildly amusing in small doses, but even there I learned more things than from some intel reports.

Thal loved nothing more than open ground upon which to stretch out and run. Cities were confining. Given we were likely to be the next guardians, I’d need to adjust my thinking to align with Thal’s.

A sharp attack on my charm snapped me from my daydream. Percy had warned us this would happen, I just expected it to take longer. Good information to bring back from our reconnaissance.

It focused its attack at one tiny point, trying to burrow into my thoughts. Thal extended his help, but I waved it off. “It might be trying to lure you into aiding me so it can come after you when you’re distracted.”

“Or this could be its real goal.”

I was undoubtedly the real target, but how it got to me didn’t matter. “Agreed, but we need to test our protection. Right now, I’m not in any danger. But stay alert in case that changes.”

“How will I know if you need help?”

“Just like you knew this time. We’re connected by our . . . by our . . .”

“By our what?”

It couldn’t be that simple, could it? “We might be approaching this the wrong way. Mates are stronger together than apart. I’m not saying we shouldn’t use the amulets, but we probably don’t need them.”

“You want us to take off the pendants?”

The idea wasn’t as crazy as he made it sound. “No, but I’m not sure we need them. The strength of mates doesn’t come from the bond itself. The two halves merge seamlessly and they share their combined power.”

“Right, but the demon has a mage for a mate.”

Thal recited what we believed to be true, but that was how it worked for us. “The demon would need to merge with the mage. I’m reasonably sure that hasn’t happened.”

“You can’t be certain they haven’t.”

I didn’t point out I’d said as much. “No, I can’t, but it isn’t how demons work. They possess and consume. Even if they joined, it would be nearly impossible for them to work seamlessly.”

“Again, you don’t know that. Are you willing to risk our safety on a hunch?”

This felt like more than speculation. “I’m not counting on being correct to save us. We’re going to take every precaution we can, but if I’m right, it gives us another weapon.”

I gave Thal a nudge to remind him he could read my thoughts. He needed to see things from a mage’s perspective to understand. I guided him so he wouldn’t stumble around, and after a few seconds, I felt his skepticism diminish. It wasn’t all gone, but then I wasn’t fully convinced I was right.

And that was fine. Mates were stronger together. The deeper the bond, the more powerful we became.

Thal digested what I’d shown him while I stewed over a different problem. If the demon could distinguish which of us was more useful to it and vary its attacks accordingly, I had to assume it could pinpoint our location. I’d raise the issue with Percy when we got back.

We ran for a few more minutes when the texture of the corruption changed. Thal’s step hitched slightly, and I didn’t need to read him to know he felt it as well. “ I think we should turn back. This feels like it’s guiding something.”

“You mean it’s sending someone to attack us?”

I could probably tell more of its intent if I probed, but I didn’t want to risk giving it a chance to draw me in. “Or testing its ability to find us.”

Before Thal could turn, a harsh whinny shattered the peaceful scenery. Six unicorns crested the ridge in front of us. They paused and I felt the demon’s energy change back to its original dark hue.

I instinctively reached for my magic but stopped before I could gather it into an attack. The six maintained their position even when Thal turned away.

“Why aren’t they pursuing us?” Thal asked.

Twisting, I checked on our foe, but they remained rooted in place. “I think the magic is working. They know we’re in the area, but they can’t see us.”

The answer didn’t cause Thal to reduce his pace. We needed to get this information back to the others. Our ride raised more questions, but it gave me hope. Whatever was out there, our magic had worked and that was a good start.

Thal galloped back into the village, a contrast to the leisurely way we left. There hadn’t been any new incursions nor did anyone pursue us, but that didn’t make us feel safer. This mission was more dangerous than we’d been led to believe when we arrived.

As we approached the guardians' home, Owen and Lysandor emerged, followed closely by Percy and Gio. They watched us with expectant expressions.

“You're back,” Owen said.

Ignoring his statement, I removed the saddlebag with Thal’s clothing. Owen was nervous and I didn’t blame him. “Helluva first mission.” I smiled at him and tossed in a wink for good measure.

“No one said it would be boring,” Owen said.

Thal shifted as I pulled out his clothes. I’d been around shifters before and would turn to give them privacy. The same courtesy wasn’t needed for my mate, but I didn’t let my gaze linger. His naked torso set my libido on fire and we had to focus on briefing the others first.

“Did you encounter any trouble?” Gio asked.

I gave him a grateful nod for helping me stay on task. “Nothing we couldn't handle, but we learned a few useful things. Let’s wait until we’re shielded to talk.”

Percy raised an eyebrow and I wondered if he knew more about the demon than he’d let on. I handed Thal his sandals, and we all made our way into the guardians’ cozy living room. We settled onto the well-worn furniture with a sense of urgency hanging in the air. The smell of lemon and hibiscus filled the space, and I saw the teapot on the table.

“We made herbal tea,” Gio said. “It is refreshing after a ride into the affected land.”

The soothing aroma dispelled the last lingering taint of dark magic clinging to my senses. We took seats as Gio poured cups for me and Thal. Taking a sip, I let the tea calm my unease. “Thank you.”

“Of course,” Gio said. “We’ve ventured into the corruption enough to know it is unsettling.”

The others waited patiently while Thal and I took a few moments to unwind. I knew their tolerance wouldn’t last forever, so I set my cup on the table. “Our charms work, but the demon’s power is growing.”

Thal and I spent the next thirty minutes explaining what we encountered. We took turns answering questions, but no one seemed surprised by what we learned.

“Clearly this information was expected,” I said.

“Not entirely, but we heard back from your brother,” Percy said. “He predicted our charms wouldn’t be entirely effective.”

I found it astounding Bart could anticipate something from thousands of miles away without experiencing the magic firsthand. “Did he say why and more importantly, did he give us some idea how to improve them?”

“The elves gave him a book written by the elven smith responsible for forging the Orme Seaux and the Dreki Seaux," Owen said. "His name was . . . is Aeldrin. It’s his soul that’s bound to the Orme. The book taught Bart how to communicate with Aeldrin. The swords were made using soulsmithing.”

A shiver went down my spine. Binding a soul to an inanimate object was dark magic. The fact it had a name meant it wasn’t a mistake or an unfortunate accident. “What did Bart learn from Aeldrin?” I asked, my voice tight with apprehension.

“According to Aeldrin, the Demon Sword is an abomination, even by the standards of soulsmithing. Two souls trapped forever within the blade for eternity would drive both mad.”

The implications were staggering, and for a moment, I found myself questioning the wisdom of our mission. Thal's mental presence enveloped me, a soothing balm against the barrage of unsettling thoughts.

“Just breathe,” Thal said. “We need to hear everything before we turn tail and run.”

He was right, but he hadn’t studied dark magic. Crazy mages were hard to contain. You either killed them or risked your own death. I had trouble comprehending how to kill an insane demon.

I did what Thal suggested and took a moment to rein in my fears. “Did Bart give you any other information?”

Owen took a deep breath. “Yes, but I should probably let you see the conversation. You know how Bart gets. I’ll probably leave out key details I didn’t understand.”

My brother’s consciousness tapped against my wards and I accepted the invitation. It had been a good idea to share the information this way. Since the Orme’s forging, Aeldrin had spoken few words and relayed his thoughts mostly in images. Bart had shown Owen and Percy what Aeldrin revealed to him, adding his words to guide them.

“Because Bart was in contact with the sword, he could feel when he misunderstood something or if he’d gotten it right,” Owen said.

Aeldrin was one of the first elves to walk the world. Fres, his mate, was a dragon even older than Aeldrin. During a fight with demons that was a precursor to the Demon War, Fres was mortally wounded. Rather than accept his death, Fres convinced his mate to put his soul in the Dreki Seaux so he could continue the fight and exact revenge.

After doing what Fres asked, Aeldrin used the Dreki to hunt down and kill those responsible for his mate’s death. Aeldrin then tried to free his mate and found he couldn’t release him. Distraught, he forged his soul into the Orme, so they’d be together until someone found a way to free them both and they could move on together.

During the Demon War, they’d been separated and remained apart until Bart woke Aeldrin and used the Orme to kill the demon prince. It had taken months of work to communicate well enough with Aeldrin to learn the Dreki existed and longer to locate it.

Aeldrin believed the Demon Sword was the result of a catastrophic accident during the forging process. The mage likely intended to bind just the demon to the blade, but wasn’t skilled enough to avoid being pulled in as well.

“Does that mean the pair aren’t mates?” Thal asked.

“We have no way of knowing for sure,” Percy said. “Aeldrin can’t communicate with the other sword, and it would be unwise for him to try. That said, mate bonds are born of earth magic. I find it impossible to believe the earth chose to give a demon such a gift.”

Thal hoped for a definite answer and Percy’s response left him deflated.

“Don’t despair,” I said. “Even if somehow the demon and mage are mates, they’ve corrupted the power that gives strength to their bond. Trust that our love gives us far more strength than their perverted joining.”

“You’re right,” he said. Affection and love filled our link. “I know I worry too much, but it’s in my nature to learn all I can about something posing a danger to the herd.”

Family was important to me, but being part of Thal’s herd created a deeper connection. A month ago, the idea of being so close to thousands of beings would have scared me. Now I saw how comforting the herd was to its members. It explained the devotion of the alpha to his herd and the members to their alpha.

“Does the mage’s presence in the blade give it greater power?” I asked.

“Bart didn’t say, and I’m not sure he knows,” Owen said. “He did say, however, Aeldrin isn’t able to use his magic without a mage wielding the blade.”

One problem with having Bart for a brother—we expected he could answer any question. When he couldn’t, it was equal parts shock and disappointment. Bart didn’t, however, stuff our heads with useless facts. I considered Owen’s words and realized we hadn’t been asking the right questions.

“I think the answer is no, having them both inside the sword doesn’t make them stronger,” I said. “There is another mage helping them. One who isn’t trapped inside the blade.”

“Which clears up many questions,” Percy said. “At first we were looking for a demon who somehow managed to stay on our world. Finding none, we searched for mages using black magic. We located a few over the centuries, but they weren’t the source of the corruption we felt. It makes sense it was a mage using the sword.”

“I don’t understand,” Lysandor said.

I wasn’t surprised. Percy was combining a lot of information to reach his conclusions. Thal didn’t fully understand, either.

“A mage is corrupting the land, but he’s using demon magic from the sword,” Owen said. “If we found the mage, we wouldn’t detect the dark energy on them because that magic came from the weapon. We’d need to find the sword to confirm its signature.

“It also explains how the magic was able to counter Otto’s spells and target him during their ride today. The mage is guiding it.”

A shudder ran through me, and I tried to keep my thoughts from Thal. I felt confident we could handle any mages who were causing the blight on the land. Not only was Owen one of the strongest mages in the world, he and I were augmented by our mate bonds.

I was less confident about the Demon Sword. Soulsmithing wasn’t something taught at Utrecht.

“Assume we can destroy the blade. What happens to the demon soul?” I looked at Percy. “Does it evaporate or will it be free to terrorize us without limits?”

The silence that met my question said more than words. No one knew.

I didn’t either, but I wasn’t going after the Demon Sword until someone gave me a good answer.