Magic Revealed (Dragon's Gift: The Seeker Book 3) Read online

  Magic Revealed

  Dragon’s Gift The Seeker Book 3

  Linsey Hall

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Thank you for reading!

  Excerpt Of Hidden Magic

  Author’s Note

  Acknowledgments

  Glossary

  About Linsey

  Copyright

  Chapter One

  Deep in the Honduran Jungle

  “Those vultures can’t be a good sign,” Nix murmured from behind me.

  “Yeah. They know something we don’t.” I glanced up as I pushed my paddle through the muddy brown river. Vultures circled above us, black spots on the patch of blue sky visible through the gap in the jungle canopy.

  Sticky sweat rolled down my back as I turned my gaze back to the wide river. The jungle crept in on either side, a brilliant green death trap. The scent of foliage, water, and mud was so strong that it drowned out the stink of my sweat.

  Slightly behind me, Nix manned her own paddle.

  “The vultures must mean we’re close,” she said. “We’ve been going for at least three hours. And my dragon sense is really starting to buzz.”

  “Mine, too.” The treasure we sought was near. I’d read all about it in an old treatise I’d found in the back of my trove, which had given my dragon sense just enough of a clue to work. “And the magic is getting stronger.”

  “No kidding,” Nix muttered.

  The jungle’s magic buzzed along my skin, prickling like gnat bites. The farther we pressed on, the stronger it became—protecting the treasure we sought. The long-abandoned hidden city deep in the Honduran jungle had been built by supernaturals. Which meant there’d be some serious booby traps.

  My ears strained as I searched the river and forest ahead. On either side of us, massive green leaves rustled in the faint breeze. The jungle was thick, the sounds of birds and monkeys like an out-of-tune chorus. Through the greenery, I caught sight of a flash of black. It appeared again a moment later, keeping pace with our boat.

  I squinted into the jungle. The black glinted in a ray of light. Fur. Sleek, black fur. And a big yellow eye.

  “We’ve got company.” I paddled faster. “A jaguar is stalking us.”

  “Great,” Nix muttered. “Vultures and jaguars. The next thing we need is a giant snake.”

  “Careful, or we’ll get one.” I knocked on my head, hoping to ward off the jinx.

  Mountains loomed ahead, steep green peaks jutting up into the cloudless sky. My muscles tensed, awareness of surrounding threats keeping me on a tightrope.

  “My money’s on the city being in the valley ahead,” I said.

  “Not taking that bet,” Nix said. “I think you’re right.”

  Thirty minutes later, the river had carried us deep into the mountains and we could see glimpses of white ahead.

  “That’s it!” Nix cried.

  We drifted down the sluggish river, mountains hulking over us like silent sentinels on either side. In front of us on the left side of the river, an abandoned city spread across the jungle. Small white buildings—houses, maybe— popped up between the foliage. The vultures overhead had tripled in number, and the jaguar stalking us still popped up now and again alongside.

  Magic prickled fiercely against my skin. A warning.

  “Stay alert,” I said. “Something’s coming.”

  As soon as the words left my lips, the water ahead of us exploded in a massive splash, drenching us. I sputtered, heart pounding, and barely managed to keep my grip on my paddle.

  I blinked the water out of my eyes, only to see a huge snake rising high in front of us, its beady black eyes riveted to our boat. I nearly swallowed my tongue, my gaze glued to the long white fangs protruding down from its mouth. Pearlescent poison dripped from the tips.

  “Crap!” Nix cried.

  The bottom half of the snake disappeared under the murky water. I couldn’t see, but the thing had to be at least fifty feet long given the size of the part I could see. Magic rolled off the snake, thick and pungent. Smelled like a freaking swamp.

  “A booby trap to protect the city,” I said.

  In a flash, Nix’s magic swelled on the air behind me, the scent of flowers strong. I followed suit, calling on my magic and letting the icy cold fill me as I started to shift to my Phantom form.

  Before I could change, the snake struck, its huge head shooting toward us. I swung my paddle up and struck it in the eye. The thing hissed and reared back.

  As the snake shook its head, I chucked the paddle into the boat and shifted fully, letting the ice fill my limbs as they turned transparent blue. My heart thundered as I reached out and drew my sword from the ether, the slender blade appearing from thin air. Fates, I loved that trick. This new sword was amazing.

  Nix stepped closer to me, holding a massive spear that she must have conjured.

  “I’ll—”

  The snake struck, cutting her off. She thrust the spear up, piercing it high on its body. The thing hissed, and for the briefest second, it held still, stuck on the spear. I leapt up, turning corporeal long enough to slice my blade through the snake’s head. The massive thing dropped off, blood spraying me on the face and shoulder. I gagged as the head dropped into the water with a splash.

  The huge body collapsed, yanking the spear from Nix’s hands. The splash that followed rocked our little boat, throwing me to my butt. Pain seared through my hip where I fell hard against the wooden bench, but I kept my grip on my sword. Nix landed beside me as water splashed over us.

  “Not bad,” she said breathlessly.

  “Nah.” I struggled to my feet, gazing out at the rippling water and trying to wipe the blood from my face. “I just hope there was only one.”

  “We can handle another.” Nix stood and dusted off her hands. She strained and pointed to her face. Then to her head and shoulder. Finally, she gestured to her whole body. “You’ve got a little something there.”

  “You don’t look so good yourself.” The spray had gotten her, too, speckling her brown hair and pale skin with red flecks. Her green eyes stood out starkly, an exact match to the blue T-shirt she wore.

  Nix stuck her tongue out in a gagging gesture. I returned my sword to the ether, then bent and scooped up some water, trying to get the worst of the blood off my face. Nix followed suit.

  Once we were less gross, I said, “The spear was a good idea.”

  Nix bowed low, grinning. “You did exactly as I’d hoped.”

  I high-fived her, then looked up at the vultures circling overhead. “I bet they’re disappointed.”

  “I’m cool with that.”

  But the birds didn’t leave, which couldn’t be good.

  I picked up my oar, then turned to shore. The city spread out before us, beckoning. The jungle had long since reclaimed the side streets, growing rampant around the buildings. But the avenue in the middle was still mostly clear. Perhaps a spell.

  We paddled to shore, beaching our small boat at the edge of the river and climbing out. Mud squelched under my boots as I climbed onto firmer ground.

  “Now what?” Nix asked.

  “That way.” I pointed down the main avenue through town. A massive pile of white stone rubble lay at the other end.

  Nix didn’t normally come treasu
re hunting with me, but she’d wanted to get out of the shop. I also had a feeling that Roarke had asked her to watch my back. My sorta-boyfriend/Warden of the Underworld was off dealing with some problem on his home turf in hell, so for the first time in two weeks, he wasn’t glued to my side.

  Nix scuffed her foot over the packed-dirt road, which was firm despite the recent rains. “Has to be a spell.”

  “Yeah.” Supernaturals had used all kinds of magic to keep the city looking nice.

  Magic prickled on the air as we set off down the street. On either side, white limestone houses stood empty. They stretched all the way toward the mountains behind. A monkey peered out from the window to our left, chattering at us.

  I waved at him, then continued on.

  Pain lanced through my skull as a blue light flashed in my eyes. I stumbled, blinded, and crashed to my knees. For the briefest second, the blue flash brought with it a sense of familiarity. Then it vanished.

  “Del!”

  Woozy, I blinked, struggling to my feet.

  Nix gripped my arms, her concerned gaze glued to my face. “What the hell was that? Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, yeah. Fine.” I looked left and right, checking for danger, but the only threat was coming from within my own head.

  “What was that? A seizure?”

  “No. I don’t know what it was. It happened last night, too, right as I got in bed.”

  “Why the heck didn’t you tell me?”

  “Didn’t seem like a problem.” I shrugged out of her grip. “We gotta get going.”

  “Yeah, sure. But if that happens again, tell someone. It can’t be normal.”

  I laughed. “Nothing about us is normal.”

  “True.” Her grin turned serious. “But there’s quirky not normal and you need a brain scan not normal. So if it happens again, tell someone.”

  “Yeah, yeah, Mom. Let’s go.” But she was right. There was something weird about that blue light. Once might be a fluke. Twice…

  “Get a move on,” I said.

  She punched me in the shoulder, then turned and started down the street.

  We walked for another five minutes before we reached the end of the street.

  “Oooh, that’s not good,” Nix murmured.

  The destroyed temple loomed in front of us. “Sure isn’t.”

  A wide moat stretched out before us, dotted in a hundred places with small slabs of stone. Prickly magic emanated from the pond, indicating some kind of protective spell. It surrounded a massive pile of rubble that had once been this society’s high temple. Like most supernatural temples the world over, this temple had once contained enchanted artifacts. The problem with enchanted artifacts was that the magic within them decayed over time. Once it reached the tipping point—boom.

  “Definitely not good,” I muttered. “We’ll have to cross using the stepping stones. But there are so many that I bet you have to step on certain ones if you don’t want trouble.”

  “This isn’t the kind of trouble I’m interested in.”

  “Same.” I studied the moat, unable to figure out a pattern, then glanced at her. “Any ideas?”

  “Nope.”

  “Then let’s hope for the best.” Gingerly, I poked the nearest stone with the toe of my boot. When it held firm, I stepped on it. My muscles relaxed slightly when the thing didn’t sink, but tension still tightened my skin. I’d never walked on a frozen lake, but I’d bet it felt something like this.

  “Follow me,” I said. “And if shit goes south, get out of here.”

  Nix laughed. “Like I’d leave you.”

  Slowly, we made our way across several stones. The fifth stone I stepped on vibrated the moment my toe touched it. Before I could pull back, the thing exploded, throwing me backward. I surged toward Nix, stumbling. She grabbed me, but not before my boot dipped into the moat. The rubber sole sizzled and melted.

  “Shit!” I yanked my foot up, balancing with Nix on one stone, and bent my knee to peer at the sole of my shoe. The rubber had been eaten away almost to my sock. At most, there was a sliver left.

  “The moat is full of acid.” Nix’s voice wavered.

  “Yeah.” I tightened my arm around her waist as my skin chilled. “I don’t even want to think about what that would do to skin.”

  “Eat it. Immediately.”

  I swallowed hard, then jumped when a growl ripped through the air.

  No.

  Slowly, I turned my head. A jaguar crouched on the shore ten feet away, its gaze riveted to us.

  “Oh, hell.” Nix’s arms tightened on my waist.

  Trapped. We couldn’t go back to shore or we’d become Kitty Chow, and we couldn’t go forward because we didn’t know which stone would explode and chuck us into acid.

  “He looks hungry,” Nix said.

  “He looks like he’s never tasted human before, but has heard good things and is interested in trying it.”

  Nix choked on a laugh before her gaze turned serious. “Turn into a Phantom. He can’t hurt you in that form, and maybe you can kill him.”

  I flinched as the jaguar prowled forward. “I’d really rather not kill him.”

  He was beautiful, ravenous yellow gaze and all. I really didn’t like killing animals. My deirfiúr Cass had once run into demon jaguars. It was okay to kill those, since they were technically demon shifters. But this guy was just a giant cat.

  “Niiice kitty,” Nix murmured.

  The jaguar growled.

  “Shhh! He doesn’t like that.” I could draw my sword to be on the safe side, but I had a feeling he wouldn’t like that either.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of a dusty footprint on a stone to the left. It was so pale that I hadn’t seen it from shore.

  “I’ve got an idea,” I said. “Conjure a steak. A big one.”

  “Okay.” Nix’s magic swelled as she unwrapped an arm from my waist. A moment later, a raw steak appeared in her hand. It had to weigh at least ten pounds.

  The big cat’s yellow gaze snapped to it.

  “Toss it to him,” I said. “Then conjure another.”

  Nix tossed the steak. It landed with a thud on the ground next to the jaguar. He scooped it up in his jaws and chomped on it.

  “You’re a handsome guy,” I said. “Smart, too, I bet.”

  His gaze met mine like he understood me as his white teeth tore into the meat. I might’ve liked him, but I couldn’t help but imagine what it would feel like to have those fangs chomp into me.

  When he swallowed the steak, Nix tossed him another. It went down the hatch faster than the first.

  “Is that your preferred cut?” I asked the cat. He didn’t respond, but I felt like maybe he smiled. Not that I believed he could speak English, but maybe he liked my tone.

  “Another,” I said.

  “‘Kay.” Her magic swelled, and she tossed another steak at the cat.

  This one, he ate slower.

  “I think he’s getting full,” I said.

  “Good. I don’t want to burn through all my magic.” She eyed the cat’s fangs as they tore through the steak. “Although, it’s for a worthy cause.”

  Once the jaguar had finished the third steak, it looked at us with a satisfied expression. At least, I assumed it was a satisfied expression. I thought its belly was looking a little fatter, and fates knew I was always satisfied when my belly was full.

  I pointed to the pile of ruins on the other side, then looked at the jaguar. “Can you lead us there?”

  The cat just stared, yellow gaze impassive.

  “Can you take us across? There will be more steak.” I felt crazy for assuming the cat understood, but I’d always had an affinity for animals, and I had to try. Maybe I’d get dumb lucky.

  The cat stood, then stalked over to the left about ten feet. Right near the dusty footprint.

  “It understands!” Was I getting better at communicating with animals? I swore I could feel a connection with the big cat.

&nb
sp; “I can’t believe this might work,” Nix said.

  “Let’s try.”

  We hopped back across the stones to the shore, then followed the jaguar across the path that he took. My heart was lodged in my throat the whole time, but eventually, we made it to the other shore.

  “Oh, fates,” Nix said when she stepped onto solid ground. “I can’t believe that worked.”

  “Me neither.”

  The jaguar turned to us expectantly.

  “But you’d better conjure another steak and pay up.”

  “No kidding.” Nix did her thing and tossed a steak the jaguar’s way.

  He leapt up and caught it in the air, then found himself a spot on a stone ledge and lounged with his prize in the sun, completely ignoring us.

  My shoulders relaxed as I turned to face the temple. It was nothing but white rubble stacked in piles, destroyed long ago by the blast of decayed magic. There were a few short walls still standing, but not many. Flowers bloomed among the ruins, some kind of bright pink jungle blossom that I couldn’t identify.

  “Shame it was destroyed.” Nix bent and picked up a hunk of stone that was carved like a monkey’s face.

  “Not for long.” It was part of our new plan for our shop, Ancient Magic. To date, we only collected and sold magic from artifacts that were extremely decayed and about to blow.

  But with my new power, why not try to collect magic from artifacts that had already self-destructed? All I had to do was bring the artifact back from the past. The bonus was that we could restore the temple to its former glory if we removed the destructive magic from the original artifact. With the magic gone, the artifact wouldn’t blow up and destroy the whole site. We’d bring back a piece of history. In a place as remote as this, no one would know who had done it.

  Of course we wouldn’t bring the people back, since that was bound to be trouble. I wasn’t even sure what would happen if I tried to bring people back—it probably violated some kind of natural law.

  “Let’s go.” I set off, weaving through the piles of rubble. “We need to find that giant monkey.”