Page 6 of Magic on the Prowl

“What the hell was that?” he sputtered. “What kind of witch—” She threw another spell at his head, and he ducked, and the magic hit the tree behind him. As he was about to continue his rant, a bushel of bright yellow feathers fell from the branches above. Every feather clung to the mud like it was glue. In shock, he raised his arms again, and he looked like a huge fowl.

Seeing his scowl, Daisy couldn’t stop the laugh that burst from her chest. “You look like Big Bird,” she said. A very handsome Big Bird, at that.

When he glared at her and growled, she smiled. Little did the shifter know that even though her spell looked silly and harmless, the mud was already hardening, encasing him in rock-solid cement. He wouldn’t be able to cast any more spells if he couldn’t use his hands. Over the years, she’d learned that you didn’t have to kill someone to stop them from doing wrong.

What she didn’t see coming was him shifting into his cat and shattering the concrete. As he leaped through the air, claws outstretched toward her, she wondered if her unwillingness to kill had caused her own death.

FOUR

Roarke could not believe the witch he caught trying to sneak into Whispering Pines had tarred and feathered him. The way Luna spoke earlier of the Reapers, he expected a killing blow.

Then as the mud hardened and prevented him from moving, he reconsidered his thoughts about her; perhaps she was dangerous. She was probably a scout from Shadowfall doing surveillance and then reporting back to her leader. Well, he wasn’t about to let her inform anyone how bad the situation was.

For the last few hours, he’d been walking the town’s perimeter, analyzing and surveying the wards to assess the best plan of action. Good thing he reached this point when he had.

What a curious little witch she was. For wielding dark magic, she seemed lighthearted and happy. Who ever heard of a jolly Reaper?

But he couldn’t deny he’d never seen a more beautiful woman. Even with pink hair, she was a stunner. His panther even came forward to check her out after catching a whiff of her.

As he stood staring at her, the mud drying into stone, movement in the forest behind her caught his attention. A dark robe fluttered from behind a tree. He’d bet a pound of raw meat that was another Reaper here with her.

He focused on the hidden Reaper and caught its scent. He nearly gagged on the rotten-egg stench. Then it hit him. If that was a Reaper, then the witch wasn’t. Maybe she was who she said. That meant they were in danger if the real Reaper was there to attack.

Just then, the robed figure stepped out from behind the trunk, hands glowing with a death spell. The witch didn’t see their new enemy. She would be blindsided and killed in a heartbeat.

Roarke tried to move, but the feather goop had bound him tightly. His protective instincts kicked in and he shifted. The mud cracked and shattered around him.

The Reaper cast the spell right at the woman. Roarke leaped toward her to shield her with his body. Without thinking, he was going to sacrifice himself to save the beautiful witch whose name he didn’t even know.

Just before he reached her, she threw up another protective barrier fully around herself. The death spell ricocheted off the boundary as did his panther. Roarke slammed into a tree as the witch gasped and whirled around to see their unwelcome guest.

The world spun around him as Roarke tried to get to his feet. He stumbled and shook his head. He had to protect the woman from the black magic mage. Her little trick of tar and feathering wouldn’t do much to save her.

The Reaper hissed, “Do you think you can escape your fate, witch?”

Roarke saw her clench her fists. “Fate is what we make of it,” she shot back, raising her hands as emerald energy crackled to life around them.

The Reaper snarled and thrust his hand forward, sending a wave of shadowy tendrils spiraling toward her. Daisy reacted, a shimmering shield of green light forming just in time to intercept the attack. The dark magic sizzled and spat against her barrier, but she held firm.

With a flick of her wrist, Daisy countered, releasing a volley of glowing orbs that shot through the trees like shooting stars. They exploded against the Reaper’s form, causing him to stagger and let out an unearthly growl.

Roarke shifted into his human form hoping this would heal his concussion. He was better, but now on only two legs, he was more wobbly.

“You’re strong, but you can’t protect everyone,” the Reaper sneered, recovering quickly and summoning a blade of pure darkness. He lunged at her, moving with supernatural speed.

Daisy barely managed to dodge, the blade slicing through the air where she’d stood moments before. She retaliated with a spell of her own, roots and vines bursting from the ground to entangle the Reaper’s legs. He hacked at them with his dark blade, but they regrew as quickly as they were cut.

“Nature herself defies you,” Daisy said, her voice steady. She poured more energy into her spell, the vines growing thicker and stronger.

The Reaper roared in frustration, his eyes blazing. He raised his free hand, summoning a torrent of shadowfire that scorched the ground as it surged toward Daisy. She conjured a whirlwind of leaves and wind, deflecting the dark flames away from her.

Impressive, Roarke thought.

The Reaper slammed his palm to the ground, and the earth trembled. Spectral figures began to rise from the soil, ghostly warriors that advanced toward Daisy with empty, hollow eyes.

Daisy grinned. “Wrong move, Shadowfall loser. Ghosts are my specialty.” With a twirl of her hand, she unleashed her full power, a brilliant wave of emerald energy that surged outward, turning the spectral soldiers on their creator. The Reaper stumbled backward.

Panting, Daisy advanced on the Reaper, her hands glowing with gathered magic. “This ends now,” she said. “I will not let my mistake cost the town its safety.”