Magical Midlife Meeting (Leveling Up 5)

Edgar seemed groggy, so he would be good in a bit. That vampire was incredibly hard to keep down for long. Nathanial was coming along too, but Ulric and Jasper and the basajaun were lights out like Austin. All of them had been on the same side of the line and had clearly gotten the brunt of the spell.

I breathed slowly, keeping calm. They were just unconscious. On my radar but without emotions. I didn’t know when I’d learned the difference between sleeping and dead, but I felt it with an assurance that I didn’t question.

That I wouldn’t question.

I sent some healing energy through the links to speed things along. I didn’t want to drain too much of my energy, since I’d likely have to fight my way out of this, but I needed to make sure everyone else was okay first.

“I don’t think we’re going to battle at all, are we?” He motioned at me.

Feet came into my vision. Something tugged at me from behind. A rope, like what was wrapped around my body.

“Clever,” I said through a grunt as the ropes jerked me to an upright position. “Can’t magic my way out of a rope.” I thought about that for a moment. “Or can I?”

Chambers crossed his arms over his chest, looking me over. Three other people were in the room, one who’d just stood me on my feet, and two others loitering by the far wall, probably security in case something happened.

“Where’s everyone else?” I asked.

“Handling your shifters. I told you to bring a few people, not your whole posse, but no matter—they are handled.”

It hadn’t been Elliot who’d sent me that note at all. It had been Chambers. Thank God, because a situation like this with Elliot would’ve been much harder to navigate, I was certain.

I huffed out a laugh. “You think a few mages can handle Austin Steele, a phoenix, a basajaun, an alpha gargoyle, a thunderbird— Stop me when you realize what a terrible idea that is.”

“That polar bear will get an offer he can’t refuse. They all will.”

“Austin can’t be bought.”

“Oh no? What if I guarantee his brother’s safety? Word on the street is, Momar is through with that meddling shifter trying to organize. It’s a big, strong pack, but with my help, he has a way to take them down. And he will.” A vicious grin spread across Chambers’s face. “If I help. I have some experience in those matters. I could just as easily choose not to, of course.”

“What do you get out of it?” I gave him a shallow smile. “Me, right?”

“Obviously. The others are blind to how Elliot Graves works. They think he is bringing a lamb to the slaughter. That he wants a bit of fun with you before he teaches you a lesson for making such a ridiculous show of yourself. But he wouldn’t give a plaything the largest suite of rooms. I have it on good authority that he spoiled you rotten with gifts, too. He gave you instructions on how to properly ward your rooms, since apparently you’re too…naive? Stupid? I’ll let you choose your own adjective. Regardless, he’s pampering you.”

“And you want to know why.”

“I know why, and it’s not the power, though I will admit you clearly have a lot of it. You don’t know how to use it, however, and we all know Elliot doesn’t take apprentices or partners, despite what he’s said. No, he wants those shifters, doesn’t he? He plans to organize them against Momar.” He shook his head. “I’ve never totally understood why Momar hates them so much. Hire some people and they aren’t hard to take down. But that bear you have is something else… That’s what Graves wants, isn’t it? The gorilla wasn’t a subtle hint. He’s calling me shortsighted for how I handled him. I will admit, it isn’t a bad idea to use the shifters against Momar. Too bad it won’t work.”

I’d never stared so hard in my life.

The gorilla wasn’t a subtle hint.

How I handled him…

“You killed Brochan’s mate and children. You killed children!”

His eyes narrowed. “I killed poachers and animals.”

Power boiled through and around me. “That doesn’t even make sense. Number one, you were on their land. You’re the poacher. Number two, poachers are people, animals are prey. You can’t call them both. Just call it what it was—slaughter. Despicable slaughter that will be your death sentence.”

He chuckled without humor. “And who will carry it out? You? Wrapped in rope with no use of your hands? Can’t even put up a simple ward spell or wash away those crow’s feet on your eyes? Sure. Or are you talking about the shifters? Because I’m all that stands between them and their annihilation.”

Finally Austin clicked back onto my radar, and a wave of dizziness rode the link. The other unconscious members of the crew woke up soon thereafter.