Magic Misled (Lizzie Grace #7) - Keri Arthur Page 0,44
for me to lead the way. I hesitated, my gaze seeking Aiden’s. “See you later.”
“You will.”
The sudden heat in his eyes suggested “seeing me” wasn’t the only thing he’d be doing, and my hormones happily skipped around at the thought. I spun and headed outside.
The night seemed bitter after the warmth of the house, and I hurriedly zipped up my coat and then thrust my hands into my pockets. Samuel fell into step beside me, his big body moving easily through the darkness. But I guess when you could tune into the energy of all living things and basically “see” through it, tripping over the unseen wasn’t so much of a problem.
I led the two of them around the top of the dam and then down the side to where I’d last seen the white figure. I stopped, but Samuel moved on, his fingers lightly touching the tree trunks as he passed them. An odd sort of energy stirred, one that reminded me a little of the wild magic, but richer, warmer. It ran across his hands and spun up from the earth, enveloping him in a golden-greenish light.
Jaz stopped beside me. “Am I imagining things, or is he suddenly glowing?”
“He’s glowing.”
“Is that because he’s communing with the trees?”
“Basically, yes.”
“You lot never cease to amaze me.”
I smiled. “I could say the same about you werewolves.”
She laughed. “I guess it’s all a matter of what you grow up with.”
“Yes.”
Samuel continued to walk through the trees, his steps never missing a beat. I’d never had all that much to do with the Kang line in my time up in Canberra, and it was fascinating to watch his power at work.
After ten or so minutes, the glow faded, and he turned and walked back. His face was pale, and his eyes lacked their usual brightness. The cost of communing, no doubt.
“Anything?” Jaz asked.
“The energy that passed by the trees has been warped by dark magic,” he said. “I think she—”
“She?” Jaz cut in. “This thing is a woman?”
“The radiated energy is feminine, so yes.” His gaze came to mine. “The dark energy infuses her output in much the same manner as the wild magic infuses yours.”
Given I was shielding my output these days, it was interesting that he could see it. “Does that mean the dark magic is a part of her DNA?”
He hesitated. “It is now. Whether she was born that way, or it’s a result of a catastrophic event, I can’t say.”
“Anything else?” Jaz said. “Any idea how we catch her?”
Samuel scraped a hand through his hair. “Not really. She has an innate cunning—the trees could sense it. She also exudes a oneness with the wilderness, which is oddly juxtaposed against an underlying stream that speaks of humanity.”
“Meaning we’re dealing with something that’s human?” I queried.
“Or werewolf. Unfortunately, she didn’t linger long enough for her life force to make a deeper impression. There was a thread of anger—perhaps a shadow of revenge—in its output, however.”
“If she’s here for vengeance,” Jaz said, “it means the three men must have had some contact with her in the past. That at least gives us a starting point.”
Samuel hesitated. “I wouldn’t be so certain, as it wasn’t clear that the need for revenge is in any way connected to the catastrophic event that caused the twisted nature of her energy.”
“And yet there must be some connection between her and the three men—why else would she specifically target them?”
“I have no idea.” He took a deep breath and released it slowly. It was a sound of utter weariness. “I’d better go, otherwise I’ll fall asleep at the wheel.”
“Don’t forget to set your wards when you get back to the hotel,” I said. “Just in case.”
The smile that briefly tugged at his lips was a pale shadow of its normally robust self. “I always do.”
We all walked back around the dam. Jaz peeled off to go back into the house while Samuel and I continued on to the cars.
“Don’t forget to give me a call if you hear back from Maelle,” he said as he opened the Mercedes’s door.
“Only if you promise to answer the damn call.” At his raised eyebrow, I added, “I called to warn you this thing was after John. You didn’t answer.”
“Ah. Sorry.” He grimaced. “The phone was dead, so I left it charging in the car.”
“Best not to let it die too often,” I teased. “Because you never know when I might change my mind about going out with you.”