Page 15 of Magic Forsaken
Well, crap.
FOUR
“What doyou all think you’re doing?”
Faris’s voice was eerily quiet as he strode further into the room to stand only a handful of paces from Talia, every bit of his terrifying focus bent on the scene before him—shattered glasses, overturned chairs, missing patrons, and the strange swirl of water that now surrounded me.
Kira was hovering by the kitchen door, looking worried, while Seamus stood beside her, seemingly frozen in place. Talia still looked ready to drive a knife through my heart, even as her hand opened and the tall man she’d been dragging behind her crashed to the floor.
And Callum? He was staring right at me, like a raptor that had just sighted prey.
Damage control. I had to figure out how to explain this, and fast, but first I shot another glance at my boss to get some idea of exactly how furious he was.
Answer? Very. Faris’s mouth was set in a flat, angry line, and his green eyes flashed as he surveyed the damages.
“Would anyone care to claim responsibility for this mess?”
Not really, no. Even if it had been partially my fault, my body and brain seemed frozen with indecision, caught between caution and exhilaration.
Whatever I had just done… It was as natural as breathing. And maybe as necessary. It was as if I’d suddenly opened a door to a part of myself that was dark and closed off, and a prisoner had stumbled into the light—a mysterious creature of life and color and joy.
But that joy began to dissolve as the glowing blue eyes of the terrifying water elemental found mine and glared in utter loathing.
“Howdareyou use my own power against me?” Her voice resonated with anger and offense. “You are a mere child! An arrogant renegade with no manners or respect. I would destroy you where you stand were you not hiding within the protection of the Shadow Court like a mewling coward.”
Talia took a step towards me, and the swirl of water collapsed. The icy liquid splashed to the floor at my feet, soaking my shoes and my clothes, and drawing a gasp as the chill went straight to the bone.
So much for keeping my bandage dry.
My teeth began to chatter, but my brain kept insisting that the woman was being ridiculous and overdramatic.Mewling?
“I suppose that answers that.” Faris sounded suddenly more weary than angry, but he stepped between me and the elemental queen as if to shield me from her fury. “Talia, I suggest you stop abusing your power in my place of business. Raine bested you, and you’re just going to have to live with it. And perhaps once you recognize the true danger in which you stand, you’ll thank her for saving you from a deadly mistake.”
Those eyes flashed again, just before the dark shadows behind her surged forward, and Draven’s blade came to rest along the side of her throat. The elemental queen froze as therazor edge kissed her skin, and winced as lightning crackled threateningly within a hairsbreadth of her face.
“Do you want to fight or do you want to talk?” Faris asked coolly. “Because I have no problem with whichever choice you decide to make.”
“Fine,” Talia spat at last. “Call off your attack dogs,Shadow Lord, and we’ll talk. I might loathe your existence, your power, and this path you’ve chosen for yourself, but I require answers and you are the only one who can provide them.”
“Answers?” Faris growled, an undertone of rage rumbling beneath the surface of his chillingly calm facade. “You’ll be lucky if I let you leave with yourlife.”
Somehow, he’d gotten even bigger, and… was he actuallymade of earth? I’d never seen an earth elemental in a full fury before, but his jaw now appeared to be made of literal stone, his fists of golden clay. “You destroyed my property, disrupted my business, and terrified my customers, not to mention violated neutral territory. Why should I give you anything besides a lifetime ban and an order to evict on sight?”
The towering woman let out a long breath, slapped aside Draven’s dagger, and closed the distance between herself and Faris, looking down at him with an expression that pierced my heart.
Because I recognized it. The elemental was desperate.
“Because I’m afraid,” she said simply. “Faris, if confronting you as a fellow sovereign is not enough, then I will come to you as a mother desperate for answers. My own daughter is still among the missing, and I. Am.Afraid.”
Faris let out a low growl of disgust before throwing up his hands and shrinking back into his ordinary form. “Then why didn’t you just start with that instead of trying to strangle my employee and destroying my bar? Did your father convince youthat I’m an unreasonable jackass with no heart?” He paused. “Don’t answer that.”
A tiny smile creased the water elemental’s face.
“All right,” Faris grumbled. “We can talk. I won’t promise you’ll like the answers, but we’ll talk, as long as you swear to leave my city afterwards. Tonight. And don’t come back until the date on your invitation. Also, you’re paying for the damages to my club.”
She nodded regally. “Very well. And in return,”—she shot me a poisonous look—“youwill swear to teach your elemental pet some manners.”
Hiswhat?