Jewel of Darkness

  Chapter 4

  “Werewolves are real. Fae are real. Pixies are real. All sorts of supernatural beings are real. These are just a few of the things that my girls and I have discovered in the last few months. One might think that all of that information would be frightening. And it is. But it pales in comparison to the sight of one of those werewolves losing his true mate.” ~Stella

  Jewel didn’t know if she could pick herself up off of the cold floor. The pain was gone, but the nothingness left behind somehow seemed even worse. Had Dalton felt the same thing? Had he endured the same pain, but with no idea what was happening? It was just another addition to the list of idiotic situations that she’d gotten herself into.

  “I’m sure that was quite a shock.”

  Volcan’s voice filled the cold room. Jewel wanted to scream at him. She wanted to rant and rave. Who was he that he could choose her fate? Why… she started to ask herself another question but stopped. She knew who he was. He was a man born with great power already at his fingertips and, regardless of the fact that he was fae, was not immune to thirst for more. Men like him, human or otherwise, would never be satisfied. He wouldn’t be content with only having one gypsy healer, even if she alone could accomplish his plan. He will want them all. She was a fool to think that she could keep her friends safe by giving in to him. But then, she’d already come to that conclusion some time ago. Apparently, her subconscious wanted to make sure she knew just how stupid she was. Thank you for that, Jewel told herself.

  “I hope that you are able to carry on today. You still have much to learn,” Volcan said with a gleeful tone.

  She pushed herself up to her feet but didn’t look at him right away. Taking several deep breaths to compose herself, she shoved aside her anger and put on her best I want to learn face. When Jewel finally raised her head, she met Volcan’s eyes. There was spark in those eyes that didn’t belong, not in someone so dark.

  “What’s next?” she asked in a voice that she hoped sounded eager. She must have succeeded because he motioned for her to come over, the hideous gleeful spark never leaving his eyes or his face.

  “As you have seen,” he began as he took another book to the already covered table, “the spells you and I perform require blood. They always require a sacrifice.”

  “Peri doesn’t need blood for her magic,” Jewel pointed out. Volcan frowned at her as he pointed to the chair next to the one he had commandeered.

  “Yes, well, that’s because the magic she uses isn’t nearly as powerful. The wielder can use that magic without being fully committed to it. Giving blood to the spells, however, seals a covenant between the wielder and the magic. In return, the magic gives an abundance of power.”

  “You speak as if this magic is corporeal. And instead of you controlling it, you are actually its servant.” Jewel realized too late that her captor might not like being called a servant to anything, magic or otherwise.

  His hand connected with her face so forcefully that she had to grab onto the table to keep her chair from tipping over backward. The pain was instantaneous and exploded through her jaw, radiating all the way to the top of her head. Jewel squeezed her eyes tightly closed as she righted her chair. She took slow breaths and composed herself. Oddly enough, the facts about the human skull are what helped calm her. Her brain immediately reached for the applicable information she had filed away there. The human skull has twenty-two bones. At birth it has forty-four. Though the actual number at adulthood is debated because some scientist consider certain bones two pieces while others don’t. The facts continued to pop into her mind like little ping pong balls being tossed around. The information distracted her enough that she was able to hold back the tears. Tears would only make her look weak. When Jewel finally opened her eyes, there were two of Volcan looking back at her. She blinked furiously because two of Volcan, even if just a distortion of her eye sight, was two too many.

  “I should have warned you that I have no tolerant for insolence,” Volcan bit out.

  “Note made,” Jewel said. Though what she wanted to say was, I shouldn’t have to be warned about cruel behavior from a diabolical psychopath. Really, it goes with the territory.

  “Now, where were we?” Volcan turned back to the book as if they’d been having a pleasant conversation and she hadn’t just been clocked in the face. “As I was saying, dark magic requires a sacrifice. You mentioned that it seemed corporeal and you’re close. Some dark magic can begin to take on a life of its own. If the one using it becomes weak, the magic will choose another host to give its power to.”

  “Can it be just anyone who has power?” Jewel asked. Her words sounded a little garbled from the swelling that was beginning in her face.

  “If you mean will it jump into the next cruel little being that crosses its path? No. The host it chooses must already possess powerful magic of his own. And he must be willing to use that magic for self-gain.”

  He seemed to be waiting for her to say something else so she asked the next question that popped into her head, “Does the amount or source of the blood matter?”

  A smile appeared on Volcan’s face as he beamed over at Jewel as though he were a proud parent. “Are the others as intelligent as you?” he asked.

  Jewel gave her most innocent smile as she answered, “It doesn’t really matter since I’m the only one you’re going to have. Remember our deal?” She knew he remembered the bargain they’d made all too well, but she also now knew that there was no way he was going to uphold his end of it.

  “True,” he said as his smile remained plastered into place. “I was just wanting to know if I happened to get the most intelligent healer of the bunch. No harm in asking.” He turned back to his book and flipped a few pages before answering her question, “The blood source and amount is very important. Human blood is second in potency — supernatural blood being the most valuable for a spell. But if the blood is from the human the spell is actually being performed on, then the spell will become more powerful.”

  Jewel listened and, though it was fascinating to her, she was also listening to learn something that she might be able to use against Volcan. It was several hours later when he finally shut the fifth book he’d shown her and stood up.

  “I suppose you are probably hungry.”

  She figured it would not be good to point out the human body could actually go three weeks without food. The way Volcan’s mind worked, he would probably make her starve for three weeks and a day just to see if it was true.

  “Keeping the body fed and hydrated increases learning capacity and comprehension.” Really, Jewel, she thought to herself. You just had to throw out a fact, couldn’t just say, yes, I’m hungry? But, as always when Jewel was nervous or scared, any information useful or otherwise would often just pour out of her. Maybe soon it would come in handy, and she could just bore Volcan to death with useless knowledge.

  “You may take lunch in your room,” Volcan said and turned on his heel and strode away, giving her no indication where she was to obtain this lunch.

  But Jewel needn’t have worried about her sustenance. When she walked back into her room, she noticed that a plate of bread and bowl of some sort of broth were waiting for her on a table. She was relieved to find that the partially clothed males had been removed. After eating the bread and drinking the broth, she climbed up onto the bed and folded her legs in front of her. Jewel had been given an information dump and she now needed to process it. As she sifted through the things she’d learned, a single overriding thought kept coming back to her: How can I use this against him?

  She’d decided that if she couldn’t escape, then she’d do the next best thing. She was going to kill Volcan. If she died in the attempt, then so be it. At least her friends would be safe. And without Dalton, she had nothing to live for anyway.

  But what about Dalton? the little voice in the back of her head whispered. Would he even miss her if she died? Now that the bond was completely severed and there was nothing pulling th
em together, what would keep him from finding someone else? She didn’t want to think about it. Regardless of the bond, Jewel still wanted Dalton to be hers. But when did she start getting everything she wanted in life? If she’d not been his true mate, if there’d been no fate sealed between them, a man like Dalton Black would never have given someone like Jewel more than a passing glance. And even then, it would only be because of her red hair. It drew eyes like sugar drew ants. “Thank you for that,” she told her hair. “Now I’m talking to my hair,” Jewel said as she closed her eyes and let out a slow breath. If she lost her life attempting to kill Volcan, she would at least be ridding the world of her oddities and the possibility of her passing them on to her offspring. If that’s not taking one for the team, then she didn’t know what was.

  Peri stood staring after Gustavo who had disappeared into the forest. She looked around at the people who had their eyes pointed in the same direction.

  “Well, that’s a problem,” she said, walking farther into the circle that the group had formed.

  “Have you always been the queen of understatements?” Sally asked Peri.

  “Hey, Sally.” Stella smiled noticing that Peri and Gustavo hadn’t been the only ones to join them.

  “Hey chicks, having fun yet?” Sally grinned back.

  “Sally’s here?” Heather perked up from the spot where she sat. “Please tell me that you brought us something fun to do. This whole sitting and strategizing is for the birds.”

  “Just what are you going to do there, Stevie?” Peri asked the blind healer.

  “That was a little more accurate than Helen, granted my parts are a tad different,” Heather pointed out. “But to answer your question, I bet my senses rival that of the wolves. I’ve got a wicked sense of smell and acute hearing. I could totally help in searching for Jewel.”

  Peri smiled. She liked the healer from Texas, though she would never admit that out loud. “While I appreciate your enthusiasm, the wolves have one up on you. They won’t walk into trees if someone forgets to guide them.”

  Crina let out a bark of laughter and quickly covered her mouth and muttered behind her hand. “Sorry, it’s been boring,” she reiterated Heather’s complaint.

  “Well, if nothing else I would be a good source of entertainment,” Heather said good-naturedly.

  “Could we address the fact that there is a crazed wolf running through the pixie realm?” Adam spoke up.

  “Before he wolfed out, he asked where she was. Obviously, he meant his mate. When he realized none of us here were it, he found Anna’s trail and took off after her,” Stella explained.

  Peri tried hard not to let out a string of curse words. When a Canis lupus began acting on instinct instead of listening to the rational man, bad things usually happened.

  “Where exactly is Anna?” Sally asked.

  “She said she needed to go on a walk to clear her head,” Elle answered.

  “And you all just let her wander off?” Costin practically growled.

  “Hey, Sally’s boy toy, pull it together,” Peri snapped. She turned and looked at Sorin who was the oldest, besides Adam, of the group. “You obviously didn’t think there was any sort of threat. And by the way, where the heck is the high fae who brought the Alpha here?” Peri asked looking around for Alston.

  “He sort of disappeared,” Kara answered.

  “Convenient,” Peri grumbled. She looked back at Sorin, waiting on him to answer her first question.

  “Honestly, Peri, how were we supposed to know that an Alpha would appear out of nowhere demanding to see his mate? We thought you had them all contained at your house. There truly wasn’t a threat when she left.”

  “Fair enough,” she conceded.

  “What do we do now?” Stella asked.

  Everyone was staring at her waiting for an answer. Peri rubbed her forehead as she considered the options. She could take a few minutes and hunt down Alston, just so she could introduce him to the tree branch that she planned to beat him senseless with. What was he thinking bringing a wolf as dominant as Gustavo here, where his very young, and very human, mate was taking refuge? She had no clue what was going on. It was obvious that the high fae hadn't been around the wolves enough to understand just how intense they were about their true mates. She was pretty sure Gustavo wouldn’t hurt Anna, but that didn’t mean he wouldn't hurt any unknowing pixie that got in his way. For that reason, she couldn’t just let him roam free in the pixie realm. “Damn,” Peri grumbled. “Damn, damn, damn.” This was just one more complication that she did not need. “Why can’t you wolves ever do what you’re told? Is it really so hard to obey simple orders? I tell you to stay. That means you should stay. If I tell you not to do anything stupid, then you should go out of your way to avoid all things stupid.”

  The others watched as the high fae blew off the steam that had been building inside of her. When she finally stopped griping, Elle stepped forward. “You done?” she asked her longtime friend and comrade.

  Peri shrugged. “Can’t change it now. Just have to try and salvage the situation.”

  “Okay, before we make any decisions,” ― Sally held her hands up ― “why don’t you tell us why you are here?” she asked Peri.

  “I need some information. It will be a tad tricky to get.”

  “Sweet, dangerous mission. Now we’re talking.” Heather grinned as she rubbed her hands together with way too much glee.

  “Calm down, GI Jane,” Peri snorted. “The being that has the information I need is a little bit off his rocker.” She looked at Stella and Heather. “Each of the supernatural races has their own historians, individuals who keep a log of the important events in the race’s past. But there is also one master Historian, a being who is tasked with keeping records on all supernatural creatures. But dealing with him is never easy. We only confer with the Historian when there is no other option. I could try and see if the fae archives have anything about this type of break in the wolf bond, but I'm doubting we will have any information on such a specific topic, especially since it pertains to another race.”

  “Another supernatural,” Sally practically whined. “When are you going to fill us in on all of them?”

  “So, are you asking if now would be a good time to tell you that me and the boys just killed a coven of vampires?” Peri asked, a single brow raised as her lips quirked up in an almost smile.

  “I don’t even know what to say to that,” Sally breathed out as she leaned up against a tree. Costin patted his mate’s back but spoke to Peri. “Is everyone okay?”

  “That depends on your definition of okay. Did Dalton lose his crap, killing the entire coven by himself, and then try to attack me? If that’s your definition of okay, then yeah everything is great.” Peri ignored the gasps that traveled around the group. “The information I need pertains to Dalton’s rage. Dalton thinks Jewel is dead.”

  Sally, Heather, and Stella spoke at the same time.

  “What?”

  “No.”

  “Impossible.”

  Crina hadn’t said anything, but Peri could see the fear on her face. She’d grown attached to the healers, just as the rest of them had. “Why does he believe this?” the she-wolf asked.

  “Just before he went postal he felt an intense pain and then nothing. He said the pull that he had toward Jewel, even before they were bonded, was gone. There was just nothing when he thought of her.” Peri saw the horror on all of the males’ faces and understood their fear.

  “But if she’s dead, why is he still alive? He did the Blood Rites before she was taken,” Costin pointed out.

  “I don’t know. Apparently, the bond was severed at some point after the Blood Rites. He’d mentioned it a couple times. But even though the bond had been severed, he still felt the supernatural connection to her. He still craved her, still needed her. He still felt the way you males feel about your true mates,” Peri explained. “But now…”

  “Now that’s completely gone.” Sally’s voic
e was soft and her face had lost all color. “He must be hurting so badly.”

  “I think it’s a different pain than when the bond is severed. He seems confused.”

  “If I know you,” Adam spoke up, “you don’t think she’s dead.”

  “Healers don't die on my watch.” Peri's jaw clenched. “Not to mention that it doesn’t make any sense. Volcan didn’t take Jewel just to kill her.”

  “So who is this mysterious supernatural being that you want us to pay a visit to?” Crina asked, breaking the sudden tension.

  Peri glanced at Elle and Adam before answering, “His name is Thadrick.”

  Both of the fae groaned. “I was really hoping that you were not going to say that name,” Adam exhaled, rubbing his brow.

  “Peri, when was the last time someone even saw him?” Elle asked.

  “I don't remember when he was last sighted,” she admitted. “But we know he’s around. He’s immortal, after all. We're simply looking for a guy who prefers not to be found.”

  “Call me stupid but, generally speaking, when a person goes to an effort to keep from being found, it's because they don't want to be found,” Heather pointed out.

  “Stupid,” the high fae said as she gave the blind healer a dry look even though the woman couldn't see her. Then she huffed, “It's just not as satisfying when you give me permission to insult you.”

  “Perizada, focus,” Sally said as she clapped her hands attempting to get everyone’s attention. “How do we find this Thadrick? Oh and, perhaps, you should tell us what kind of supernatural he is and any etiquette we should know, like how you don't look a dominant wolf in the eyes unless you are prepared to fight him.”

  “He's a Djinn,” Elle offered.

  “And you should strive not to piss him off,” Adam added.

  “Well―” Stella let out a deep breath. “Then I would say this quest is doomed before it even starts.”