Max growled, clearly not impressed with our sudden arrival.
“So what’s the plan?” I glanced between him and Max and Dathal.
Max chose that moment to shift back, magic crackling in the air around us. Shifters might be used to being naked all over the place, but seeing Max in all his naked glory wasn’t something easily ignored. I faced Dathal instead, only to find him openly appreciating the view. As was Axel.
Talis shrugged off his shirt and shoved it at Max. “Here.”
Max smirked but wrapped it around his waist. “From the amount of magic we can feel, I’m guessing the witch inside is either a high level two or a one. Of course it’s possible we don’t have everyone in custody and there’s more than one in there. I didn’t sense the hunter we questioned was lying, but I could be wrong.”
There was another option. “They could’ve poured their magic into the building itself. Like we imbue objects for the level three witches.”
Wyn frowned, scratching the back of his neck. “That’s an awful lot of magic you’re talking about.”
“It’s possible though, right? And Yates and the witch could be long gone?”
“I guess.”
“Whether Yates and the witch are in there or not, if there’s Blue Alhuirn behind that illusion, we need to find it and send it back through the gateway to be destroyed,” Dathal said. “We can’t leave it here for someone else to come along and take.”
Max hummed. “It’s not like it’s visible to the naked eye. You’d have to know it was here.”
“If they’ve been selling it, then people know it’s here.”
Dathal made a good point, and I got the feeling he strongly believed Yates and the witch were inside whatever it was behind all that magic. “Can we stand somewhere else other than here while we discuss this?” I asked. Because as much as I trusted Wyn to shield us, we were standing right out in the open and it was making me antsy.
Max didn’t take his eyes off the area in front of us. “If they’re in there, then they know we’re here. If they wanted to attack us, they would’ve done so before now.”
“What do you think they’re waiting for?” I glanced at Dathal, but like Max, he had his gaze fixed forwards.
“Not sure.” Max closed his eyes and breathed deeply. After a couple of seconds, a growl rumbled from his chest, low and menacing, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood to attention. “It’s definitely Yates.” He growled again, lips curling up. “I couldn’t be sure at first, the amount of magic masking his scent made it tricky to pick it out, but I can smell it now.”
Fear trickled down my spine making me shiver. “That can’t be good.” The only reason a witch would take magic from one spell would be to use it for another.
“No,” Wyn agreed. His gaze darted to mine. “There’s a slight change in the shield. Can you feel it?”
Panic gripped me. Usually my answer would be a solidno—subtleties like that had been out of my reach for years—but… “Yeah.” I was unable to hide the trace of awe in my voice. “I feel it.”
Wyn grimaced. “He’s going to—”
Magic slammed into his shield, the vibrations coming up through the ground and making my teeth rattle. I stumbled into Dathal, almost taking the both of us to the ground.
“What the fuck?” Talis yelled, making a grab for Axel as he lost his footing.
Hints of purples and blues shimmered in the air around us, snaking over the surface of Wyn’s shield as though trying to find a way inside.
It held.
Strong and solid, and I had no doubt we’d all be dead if it hadn’t, but one look at Wyn told me he couldn’t withstand much more. Max gripped his shoulders, holding him upright, but Wyn had his eyes screwed shut, teeth gritted, as he fought to maintain it.
I looked around for some cover for us all, because anything had to be better than standing out in the open like this. Not that any of the buildings would stop magic that strong, but they’d at least take some of the power out of it before it hit us.
“We need to move,” Max hissed, clearly on the same wavelength, but Wyn shook his head.
“Can’t… move.” He sucked in a harsh breath as magic continued to bombard his shield. “Need all my focus to keep this fucker out.”
Even a level one witch couldn’t keep up an onslaught like this forever though. They’d have to stop soon or risk depleting their magic. “Can you break the illusion?” I asked Wyn. “They’re going to have to regroup, and I reckon we have a couple of seconds when it’ll be at its weakest.”
“Maybe.” He grimaced. “Whoever’s in there… has some serious magic, though.” He faltered, and Max gripped him tighter, keeping him upright. “Would stand a better chance with your help.”
