Firefighter Phoenix (Fire & Rescue Shifters 7)

All three warlocks winced.

“But you are the High Magus,” John’s warlock ventured, with a sycophantic, ingratiating smile. “You have more power than all the rest of us combined. We can only dream of attaining a fraction of your mastery.”

Corbin’s taut shoulders eased a little. He’d always liked flattery. “True enough. Well. Perhaps you weaklings are unnecessary for handling such a small force.”

Corbin cast a quick, assessing glance at him. Taking a risk, Ash relaxed his guard a little, not resisting as the warlock’s will probed at his fire.

Whatever Corbin had sensed, it appeared to satisfy him. He cast a pointed glare round at the rest of the group. “My familiar is well-rested, and more than capable of supplying sufficient power for this task. Let you all take heed, and do better managing your own creatures.”

Ash let out his breath. He didn’t know what Rose was planning…but dangling such a small, tempting target in front of Corbin had to be bait to lure him out.

And it had worked.

Too late, he realized that Corbin was still watching him. He schooled his face to blankness, but the warlock’s eyes narrowed.

Corbin stared at him for a long, excruciating moment, then turned to Chase’s warlock. “Adept. Did your spell detect any other shifters, closer to our location?”

The warlock gulped at finding himself in the spotlight of Corbin’s attention again. “N-no, High Magus. Just the ones who were already at the resort, and the new small force swimming round the coast. No others.”

“And they were definitely all sea creatures?” Corbin pressed. “No others? Say, a swan?”

The warlock looked baffled. “Not unless it can breathe underwater.”

“Very good.” A small, smug smile curved Corbin’s thin mouth. “Gather the acolytes at the front gates. I shall be there shortly, and portal with them to the cove.”

The warlocks and witch bowed, scattering. Corbin waited until they were all out of sight.

“So,” he murmured, for Ash’s ears only. “You told her everything, did you?”

Ash avoided the warlock’s gaze, clenching his jaw. Corbin let out a short, ugly bark of triumphant laughter.

“I knew you were lying.” Corbin turned away, snapping his fingers as if commanding a dog to heel. “Come. Victory awaits.”

Ash bowed his head, letting his shoulders slump as if in despair. But in the secret depths of his soul, he gripped a bright, unquenchable spark.

Rose has a plan. She remembers. She will come.

Holding fast to his faith in his mate, he followed the warlock.

Chapter 23

I could have done with one of these twenty years ago, Rose thought, gripping the pearl around her neck in a sweaty hand.

She’d been worried about how they were going to sneak up on the mansion—she didn’t know what sort of magic the warlocks had at their disposal, but she had to assume that they had some way of detecting approaching shifters. But it turned out Neridia had an answer to that problem.

“These pearls of concealment will hide us,” she’d said, opening a casket in her treasury. “The Master Shark made them many, many years ago, for himself and my father, so that they could sneak out from court and adventure together. One of them kept me safely concealed for many years, until I was ready to accept my destiny. I am certain that even warlocks will not be able to penetrate their power.”

Despite Neridia’s confidence, Rose hadn’t been entirely convinced that any mere pearls—even ones as big as grapes—could really be magic. But it seemed the sea dragon had been right.

After Neridia’s knights had dropped them off at Shifting Sands Resort, there hadn’t been any sign that the warlocks had detected their arrival. They’d been able to meet with Scarlet, the resort manager, who had provided them with a staff vehicle and detailed instructions on how to get to the old abandoned mansion. She’d also introduced them to a strange, shy woman who’d peered at them through tangled, white-streaked hair.

“I know how you can get in,” she’d whispered, and Rose’s heart had bled at the fragile, trembling bravery radiating from her. “Where the cages are. You have to stop the tattooed men. They’re giving the island bad dreams.”

Rose didn’t know what Gizelle had meant by that, but however strange her manner, her information had been accurate. Following her advice, they’d been able to sneak through a hidden crack in the high walls surrounding the property. Now they crouched behind thick bushes in the overgrown garden, eyeing the mansion itself.

“There’s the side gate,” Virginia whispered, her breath tickling Rose’s ear. All six of them were huddling close together to make sure that the magic of the pearls covered them all. “Gizelle said the menagerie is right through there

.”