Magicorum Box Set (Books 1-5)

25. Chapter Twenty-Five

25

Chapter Twenty-Five

Knox

Damn, every part of my body hurts.

I force my eyes open a crack. What I see is almost more painful. Bry stands before me in some kind of military jacket. Her body is covered in scratches. A long knife is gripped in her fist.

And hundreds of Denarii are racing right for us.

But that doesn’t make any sense. The only way the Denarii in the hotel could be released is if Jules or Bry were dead. And I’m certainly breathing, which means Bryar Rose must have taken down Jules. I passed out after the d**k jammed a knife in my ribs.

“Strong mate. Strong cubs.”

Leave it to my inner wolf to focus on cubs at this moment.

I try to get back on all fours, but with two back legs broken, even trying to set some weight on them kills me. I grit my teeth. There must be enough shifter healing left in me so that I can die on my feet by my mate. I groan and push up onto my front paws. After that, I freeze.

A strange shadow just passed through the shadows from the rising moon.

I smile. I’ve only seen shadows like that once before. It’s a dragon.

Colonel Mallory is here.

A cool sense of relief moves through me. We’ve got some serious help in this fight. Now that a path was cut through the forest, it must have weakened the magic enough to let Colonel Mallory through. And dragons can do a lot of damage. Maybe not take down an entire army of the undead solo, but I’ll take all the help I can get.

A low hum echoes above my head. That’s the dragon’s fire starter. Seconds later, a shaft of flames cuts a circle around Bry and me. The Denarii howl and hang back. They don’t run away, though.

Their mistake.

Bry shields her eyes and watches Colonel Mallory swoop across the sky. He’s a massive black dragon with red spikes along his spine. Another hum sounds before he blasts a wide path through the thorn forest. Looks like they did more than weaken the magic there; they figured out how to blow it away.

Bry firms up her grip on the dagger and stares at the Denarii army. They now stand in a circle around us. With Colonel Mallory’s dragon off frying the forest, they’ve started to inch in closer.

“What’s Colonel Mallory doing?” asks Bry. “We need him here.”

The Denarii move even closer. There are women in long gowns, men in top hats, and even a few Roman soldiers. They all look like hell warmed over. Literally.

I force myself to fully stand. Pain spikes through my back limbs, making it hard to think. What I could really use is Alec and one of his healing spells. It doesn’t look like that’s happening anytime soon, though. I raise my head and howl.

“I’ll kill you if you step closer.” It’s a total lie, but the Denarii don’t know that.

“And I’ve got your back.” Bry’s words send a welcome jolt of warmth through me. I can picture her beside me, wearing that ridiculous military jacket that hangs down to her knees, gripping a small dagger against hundreds of walking mummies. She’s perfect.

My wolf pipes up inside my head. “Protect mate.”

“I’m trying, buddy.”

The Denarii move even closer. They growl and reach for us. It’s like something out of a bad zombie movie, only this is real. Moving as one unit, they leap at us. Teeth bite into my fur; hands claw at my back. Bry lets out a battle yell.

That’s when the stones of the courtyard start vibrating beneath us.

Someone’s coming.

The moment one of the Denarii touch Bry, I lose my damn mind. Adrenaline pumps through my system. Maybe a little magic, too. I leap into battle and sink my claws into the Denarii, tearing them off her.

That’s when the pack arrives.

Thousands of werewolves crest over the horizon of the now burned-down forest. So that’s what Colonel Mallory was up to—clearing a path for a werewolf army. Azizi leads the charge and looks happy as I’ve ever seen him. He’s wanted me to become alpha of alpha for ages. If I live through this, I’ll owe all these wolves anything, and alpha of alphas is what they want. At this moment, I’m so happy to see them, nothing else matters.

The horde of werewolves pours onto the courtyard and tears into the Denarii. The undead who were attacking me and Bry get torn to shreds. For the first time in hours, I take in a relieved breath. My body decides to call it quits on me, though. I hit a massive adrenaline crash and collapse onto the ground. Bryar Rose kneels beside me.

Azizi trots closer. “Guard Bryar Rose! Destroy the Denarii!” Dozens of wolves fan out around Bry and me, creating a protective circle. It’s one of the best things I’ve seen in years.

With sure steps, Azizi approaches me. There’s the mother of all smug grins on his face. “We saved you.”

“Close. If you see Alec, send him my way.”

Az turns to Bry. “You must be Knox’s mate.”

I wince. I’m almost dead, but this conversation makes me shudder. How can Azizi be pushing the mate thing right now? Bry just shifted for the first time.

“My mate?” Bry grins. “My wolf thinks so; that’s for certain.”

My brows lift. Her wolf thinks so? This is about the best news I’ve heard in forever.

Alec steps into our circle. “I see I have to save your lazy ass again, Knox.” Per usual, he looks perfect in some kind of modified black body armor. I’m sure the stuff is tricked out with more pockets than you’d believe.

Alec is here at last. I could kiss him, too. The bastard.

I’d say something smartass to Alec about showing up late, but I’m just too happy to see him. Plus, my back legs hurt like you wouldn’t believe.

Bry folds her arms over her chest and glares at Alec. “Save his lazy ass? Stop being sarcastic and help him. He’s really hurt.”

Alec kneels beside me. Sure enough, he zips open the top of his black body armor and checks the hidden pockets. He takes way too long fishing around for my taste. “Hmm.” Alec eyes my wounds. “You look like you’re healing up just fine.”

Bry Rose leans over me. “You are getting better. You weren’t before.”

Alec gives me a sly look. “Got any good news lately?”

“Zip it and heal me. My back legs are broken.” Alec knows damn well that mated pairs get a boost in all kinds of power, including healing. He’s just being a d**k. “Fix me fast before you have to re-break my legs again.”

“Fine. Baby.” Alec kneels before me and raises his fist. Red light shines inside his palm. A chill surrounds me as the magic sets in. My bones straighten and mend. Open wounds close up on their own. Within a few seconds, I’m back to my regular self.

“Thanks, man.”

“Any time.”

Bry scans the courtyard. “Where is Elle? Is she with you?”

“Oh, yes.” Alec gestures across the square, where Elle is wearing black body armor and shooting Denarii with some kind of fairy gun. I know the fairy part because the bullets drop right before their target where they expand into massive Venus flytraps, eat their prey whole, and vanish into thin air. A total fairy spell if I ever saw one.

One Denarii girl with black hair and pale skin keeps screaming that she’s in charge and the rest of the Denarii aren’t allowed to retreat. Something about her seems familiar, but I can’t quite place it. Also, something about that chick says trouble to me. The rest of the Denarii look like crap, but this girl is dressed perfectly.

I look to Alec. “I don’t like the look of that one.”

“We better go in and help Elle,” says Alec.

“Yeah.”

Bry chuckles. “Don’t worry about Elle. She’s got this.”

Sure enough, Elle is having the time of her life. She faces off with the Denarii chick, who’s holding a cleaver high. “Hey, Blanche. Haven’t seen you since group.”

“You biiiiiiiiitch!” the Denarii girl—who I guess is named Blanche—races toward Elle like a deranged sushi chef.

I don’t care what Bry says, I don’t stand around when someone’s being attacked. Neither can Alec. He and I rush to jump in, but Elle’s too fast for us. She aims the gun straight at Blanche and pulls the trigger. A seed impacts on the ground right at Blanche’s feet. A heartbeat later, a twelve-foot-tall Venus flytrap appears, opens its huge maw wide, and gulps down the girl and her meat cleaver in one swallow. After that, a flash of silver fairy dust surrounds the plant, and it’s back to being a seed again.

Whoa. That Blanche chick is toast.

Bry winks. “Blanche and Elle never did get along in group.”

“Why do I not even want to know what that means?” asks Alec.

I scratch my neck. “What I don’t want to know is how she got hold of a fairy-seed gun.” That stuff is way illegal.

“Don’t ask,” says Bry. “It’s really the only way to go.”

Alec reaches into his pocket and pulls out another handful of gems. “You two should go. We’ll stay and clean up.”

Colonel Mallory swoops by in his dragon form while he fries up a line of Denarii. There aren’t too many left now. I look to Bry. “What do you think?”

“I’ve had enough excitement for one day.”

“We’ll take off. Can you conjure us something else to wear?”

Alec searches in his pockets. “I’ve got lots of body armor gems in here. Does that work?”

“It’s fine.” I don’t usually talk in my wolf form, and it’s giving me a headache. “You should turn away, Bryar Rose.”

She blushes, which is about the highest compliment I can pay her right now. After everything that’s happened today, my girl turns red at the thought of seeing me naked.

“Not just girl,” complains my inner wolf. “Mate.”

“Look, that’s her decision. She needs to understand the full story before she commits.”

“No story. Magic says mate. Bryar Rose mate.”

“And the fact that she could die if we go through a mating ceremony?”

My wolf pauses. “We talk.”

“Good.”

Closing my eyes, I pull in the magic to start my shift. After fighting Jules, this kind of pain feels like nothing. My body snaps and realigns until I’m naked and human again. Alec pulls out some more gems, shiny onyx ones this time. He lights them up, and then, Bry and I are wearing fitted body armor. It’s black and pretty badass.

I give him a bro punch on the shoulder. “Thanks, man.”

“Is it okay to turn around?” Bry gestures to a pack of Denarii that are getting Venus flytrapped by Elle. “This view isn’t too great.”

“Yeah.”

Bry turns back around. She looks so much better without that torn-up jacket on. Makes me feel all warm inside. “You look good.”

“Alec healed my cuts, too.”

“That’s another one you both owe me,” says Alec.

Elle now saunters in. She spins her firearm on her index finger. “I love this gun.” She spies Bry and squeals. It’s a girl-thing with lots of yelling. It’s also really cute. Not that I’d ever admit that out loud.

Elle wraps Bry in a big hug. “You’re okay!”

“I am. Thanks for coming to help. We were cutting it pretty close at the end.”

Elle clasps Bry’s hands. “So, I have good news and bad news. What do you want first?”

“Bad news.”

Elle taps her chin. “Nah, I’ll start with the good news.”

I give Alec a sly look. Is this girl made for him or what?

Bry narrows her eyes. “Okay, shoot.”

“Colonel Mallory just barbecued the last of the Denarii.”

“Cool.” I move to stand closer to Bryar Rose. Somehow, I feel like the bad news will affect her deeply.

“The bad news is that your aunties are burning up every phone I have.”

Bry slips her hand into mine. “Considering the day we’ve lived through, that’s not too bad.”

Elle winces. “They’re threatening to use magic to locate you and transport to wherever you are.”

Bry groans. “Okay, that’s bad.”

“I’ve been trying to stall them, but they won’t believe anything I say.” Elle’s eyes widen with sympathy. “And you know what’s tonight, right?”

Bry groans again, only louder. “My birthday party with Queen Nyxa.”

A jolt of shock moves through me. I may be a werewolf, but even I’ve heard stories about Queen Nyxa. “She’s a psycho.”

Bry rubs her neck. “All fairies are a little crazy.”

I give her hand a gentle squeeze. “This one’s off the charts. She rules the Summer Court. Likes asking impossible riddles and killing anyone who can’t answer.”

“She comes every year for my birthday.”

Bry trembles underneath my touch. It makes me want to destroy anyone who’s making her afraid. Right now, that means I want to go after her damned aunties.

My wolf thinks the same thing. He growls inside my head. “Protect mate. Save mate.”

“I couldn’t agree more, bud.”

“Give a minute, guys.” I guide Bry away from Elle and Alec. They aren’t the type to snoop, but still. What I have to say needs some privacy. When I speak, I keep my voice low. “Look, I know you’ve had a hell of a day, but it’s about to get a lot worse.”

She sighs, and the sound tears through my heart. “I can’t handle anything else right now.”

“You’ve got to. I hate to say this, but I think your aunties were in league with Jules.”

Bry shivers even more. “He said something like that.”

“What happened to him, anyway?” Bry won’t even look at me. I’m pretty sure she killed him, but there were no signs of a body. Something strange went down; that’s for sure. “Do you want to talk about it?”

She shakes her head. “I want to read some papyri about it. Until I know things for certain, it’s best for everyone if I stay quiet.”

“Whatever you want.” I press my forehead to hers. The connection feels comforting. A long pause follows before Bry speaks again.

“I think Jules somehow got me as a baby. Before he could kill me, Colonel Mallory gave me this curse. It protected me until my eighteenth birthday, so Jules gave me to my aunties to raise until then.”

I nod. “That would explain a lot.”

“Yeah.”

“Tonight isn’t a birthday party. It’s a wedding reception for me and Philpot. I mean, Jules.”

My eyes narrow. “So, if you walk into that penthouse without Jules, you could be walking into a fight. They wanted you married to Jules. Who knows what they’ll do when they find out the truth?”

“Right.” Bry’s brows dip into a V shape. I’m learning her faces, and this one means she’s thinking things through. She’s quiet for almost a full minute before she straightens her spine and speaks in a steady and confident voice. “I have had it with that damned Sleeping Beauty template. I want it all over with, forever. That means my aunties need to drop it, too.”

I grin. “That’s the spirit.” She’s even stopped shivering. That’s a great sign.

My wolf prances around in my soul. His voice is almost a croon, the guy’s so happy. “Strong mate. Good mate. OUR mate.”

I hate to crush him, but we don’t know that. “Patience, buddy. The ceremony alone would kill her. And even if it didn’t, Bry probably deserves better than us.”

“Bryar Rose mate.” My wolf says that last bit with a huffy tone. I can sense him curling up into a corner to sulk.

Much as I hate for my wolf to be bummed out, there’s other stuff to focus on. Like how Bryar Rose is going to end this situation with her aunties. “Tell me what you need. I can help.”

“The party doesn’t officially start until midnight.” Bryar Rose scans the horizon. “It’s a little past sunset. If I get over there early, I can confront my aunties without having to deal with a fairy queen at the same time.”

“Good plan.” I kiss her temple. “When do we leave?”

All of a sudden, Bry won’t meet my gaze anymore. “I think it’s better if I go alone.”

That’s not an option.

I wind my arm around her waist and pull her against me. Damn, she feels good. “I’m going with you, end of story. And if you sneak off, I’ll find you.”

Bry half smiles. “I thought you didn’t want to be a stalker.”

“I changed my mind. And Alec here will help.” I cup my hand by my mouth. “Will you transport me anywhere Bry is going tonight?”

“Even if it’s dangerous?” adds Bry.

Alec shoots me a thumbs-up. “Absolutely. It’s bro code.”

Elle steps up closer. “I know I shouldn’t have been eavesdropping, but I couldn’t help it. It’s a big risk for me to go with you to confront your aunties, especially with Queen Nyxa there.” All the color drains from Elle’s face. Whatever happened with her and the fairy world, it must have been pretty nasty. “So if Knox doesn’t go with you, then I’ll stalk you too.”

Bry frowns, but I can tell she’s not really angry. “You guys aren’t making it easy on me.”

I lean in and nuzzle her ear. It’s unnecessary, but it sure feels good. “Don’t make me go alpha on you again. I can just order you to take me.”

She laughs, and I like that about her, too. “You can try, but I’m pretty sure I could alpha you one better.”

And the great thing is, Bry probably could. Sure, she needs a lot more practice with her animal side, but she’ll get there. I inhale her scent and smile. When it comes to a mate, you want someone with the skills to make both of you better. Bry’s perfect.

“Wait a second.” Elle’s mouth falls open. “You’re a werewolf?” She pokes Bryar Rose in the shoulder. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Bry sets her fists on her hips. “Look who’s talking. You’re a fairy, and you didn’t tell me.” She rounds on me. “And I don’t want to talk about werewolf stuff right now. We need to confront my aunties.” Her mouth quivers. “About you know, everything.”

Now, I can’t help but notice how she said “we” have to go confront her aunties. Those three ladies have known for years that Bryar Rose is really a werewolf. They better answer her questions straight up, or I swear, I will go werewolf on their bony asses.

I give Bry a gentle squeeze. “I’m ready when you are.”

“Okay, then.”

I point to Alec. “You got us covered?”

Alec reaches into yet another pocket. “I suppose that means you want transport spells as well?”

“Please,” says Bry. She shoots a quick look at Elle, who has her arms folded across her chest and is staring at the hotel like it’s her job. If this were me and Alec, we’d just fight it out until we were too bloody to care anymore. But girls have their ways of doing stuff, too. I don’t judge.

Alec raises his fist. Red light glows inside his palm. “Ready or not, here you go.”

A column of red light surrounds us as Bry and I disappear. We’re off for another battle. Only this one, I’m actually looking forward to.