He had an appointment with the Chimera tomorrow morning to discuss his new duties, so he only had this afternoon to find the child. Either Melcori overestimated Xavier’s time management skills, or he was waiting for him to fail.
Dryad magic hummed in the air. The power hadn’t dissipated yet, or if it had, an enormous amount remained.
Melcori had said it would take days for the magic to transfer. As much as he loathed the forest burning, the transference process interested him. He doubted he would ever again get the chance to see a Grove created. The Green Men who used to establish Groves had long passed into legend. If any were still around, they were hiding better than a unicorn from a Blood Mage.
Xavier pulled the vial of blood out of his pocket. He was glad Melcori had received the dryad’s permission to take it. Stolen blood often caused backlash to punish the blood thief. Blood magic using unwilling donors frequently resulted in family bloodline curses.
Melcori might say they were searching for the kid for his usefulness, but the blood mage had a soft spot for children. He would never forgive himself if some dryad kid died because they’d abandoned him in the forest. Granted, a dryad would survive much better than a regular kid, but he was still a teen without his mother.
Octavia had better have a solid contract with Melcori. Xavier’s master would drain every dryad dry for their valuable blood if given the opportunity. Willing or not, if Melcori got their agreement in a contract, he could do what he liked. Despite his respect for his master, Melcori couldn’t be trusted with easy access to top-notch blood. It would be too tempting for a gambler, especially one who loses as much as Melcori, to trick them into a contract. The magic wouldn’t care if they were unwilling.
Luckily, Xavier’s apprenticeship was ending soon, and he finally had enough money saved to provide for himself if he lived in a questionable neighborhood and didn’t mind eating ramen every meal. His father had left him a nice nest egg, but it wouldn’t last forever. He’d rather save it for emergencies than chip away at it for everyday living.
Not that he would be cut entirely free. After his apprenticeship, it was an unspoken rule that Xavier would always be available for jobs if his ex-master needed him. If he refused, others might blackball him for being ungrateful. None of the other Blood Mages would consider Melcori being unhinged as a legitimate reason to ignore his requests. Blood Mages’ reputation wasn’t all poor public relations.
After all, Melcori thought nothing of burning down a rare dryad grove to solve his money problems. Xavier couldn’t even hate him for his actions because, despite everything, Melcori had provided him with the best childhood possible under the circumstances. Was it a great one? No. But it was far better than any ‘accident’ his parents might have caused had they failed to find someone to take him. From their behavior after his magical aptitude test, he had no doubt they would’ve dealt with him one way or another.
Neither had attempted to contact Xavier since they had signed his life away. His siblings also hadn’t reached out, but he figured they might not even remember he existed. They were young when Xavier was kicked out of the family, and his mother was skilled with memory charms.
He turned his attention away from his depressing past and returned it to the equally depressing, sooty forest.
He could sense the empty spaces where the dryads should have slumbered. Blood magic heightened his sensitivity to other magic and the life forces in those who contained it. Magic resided in all blood, and blood represented life. Over the years, Xavier had learned to perceive magic in beings, regardless of their species. Melcori often boasted about Xavier’s abilities.
That was why he immediately felt the newcomers when they came within a mile of his location. He’d already filtered out the wandering deer and other assorted wildlife, but this group couldn’t be ignored. It was as if the world was hushed as these beings walked upon the earth.
Xavier tucked the vial of blood back into his pocket. Maybe he’d come back tomorrow after his morning meeting with the Chimera. Distracted, he almost jumped when someone spoke closer to him than expected.
“Here it is.” A tear-filled male voice led the group of five to the blackened remains of the once-great Grove. They stopped before a completely burned-down tree with only a stump. “There’s nothing of her left.”
“That doesn’t mean she’s dead,” a female consoled. “We’re here for you to search for her magical trace. If she’s alive, you should be able to find her. You found her tree from here. You should be able to sense her magic if you apply the same technique you used to find the bar.”
Xavier watched as a young man touched the base of a charred trunk. Could this be the kid he was looking for?
He stepped closer, stirring up ash. A stray flake tickled up his nose.
He sneezed.
The group froze before turning toward him as one body.
Creepy.
“Come out!” a deep voice called.
Knowing he’d been caught, Xavier stepped from his hiding spot.
“Who are you?” The group's largest member asked, blocking the others from Xavier’s sight. His eyes gleamed gold with shifter magic, and he emitted intense Alpha energy.
“I’m Xavier. I’m here investigating the fire.” He waved a hand toward the still-smoking remains.
“You don’t look like a fire inspector.” A slim, beautiful man stepped beside the first. The way the bigger man moved to accommodate him spoke of them possibly being mates or longtime lovers.
“Xavier?”
Damn it. He clenched his teeth as he spotted his fellow magic user in the group. “Oliver, how have you been?” Why did it have to be Observant Oliver? Nothing ever got past the former assassin. Or was it the current assassin? He wasn’t up on the latest gossip.
“Not setting trees on fire. What about you?”
He scowled at the implied accusation. “I’m not responsible for this.” He waved a hand to encompass the Grove. Melcori hadn’t even hinted at what he had planned to do. No doubt, Xavier’s inconvenient morals would have gotten in the way.
