I warmed up by playing a few chord progressions and parts of various songs I’d memorized over the years, then started playing the song I wrote for Ava.Pigeon’s Croon, I called it. It was a slow, soft melody in a major key, with a progression of high notes that mimicked the race of my heart whenever Ava was around. I’d crafted the tune with care, knowing there wereno words that could communicate the way I felt about her… but maybe this music could. It was a soft lullaby, mixed with the incredible high of the passion and desire we shared.
Most people wouldn’t think of us as a lullaby kind of people. To the rest of the world we were angry, reactive, and harsh. But when I was with Ava, I felt calm, safe and loved, and that’s exactly what this song portrayed. She hadn’t heard it yet, because I was saving it for her wedding present. She was going to be so surprised.
The longer I played, the more I got lost in the music. When I was playing piano, it was like the music could carry me away to a different world. I hummed the tune lowly under my breath while my fingers moved over the keys. I pounded the notes harder as the music crescendoed, growing to its peak.
I fumbled on a few keys. Fuck, I thought I had it that time.
I practiced the melody slower, making sure I had it down, then started a few measures before the crescendo and built it up again?—
Hands wrapped tightly around my throat from behind, bringing the music to an abrupt halt. The piano keys clashed as I was yanked to the side. I was caught completely off guard as the assailant wrenched me off the piano bench and threw me to the ground. My head smashed against the floor, leaving me momentarily disoriented. My attacker jumped on top of me and curled his hands around my throat. I tried to suck a breath, but the air wouldn’t come. He was strong, I’d give him that.
Who the fuck did this guy think he was, attacking the prince in his own palace? I was getting pretty sick and tired of this shit.
I quickly reached out with my magic to assess who it was. If it was another one of the Warden’s vampire cronies, I’d make sure the execution was a grand celebration. I’d laugh all the way to the pyre, then set the damn thing aflame myself.
Except… it wasn’t a vampire. Several types of magic hit me all at once, and I couldn’t make sense of it. I didn’t knowwhatthis guy was.
I blasted him back with my Air magic, and he went flying across the room. Music stands crashed to the ground, and chairs squeaked.
I got to my feet and stalked toward the intruder. “The Warden really thinks he can send in anyone to get the job done?” I growled. “It’s going to take a lot more than that to kill me.”
I grabbed him, and my hands met armor, similar to what the guards all around the palace wore. I yanked the man upward. He had already recovered, though, and was obviously well trained. He kicked off the ground and did a flip, until his legs were curled around my neck. He twisted his weight, dragging the both of us to the floor. I searched for super strength to siphon it from him, but it wasn’t there. That ruled out shifters, vampires, and merfolk. He definitely wasn’t an Elementai.
I landed a blow to the side of his head, but he only squeezed harder. I gathered all my strength and spun my body, forcing him into another cluster of chairs. We engaged in a scuffle on the ground, and I finally broke free of his hold. I smashed a fist into his face, and he let out a pained groan.
I searched his magic again, looking for something that I could use. I noticed something that didn’t seem quite right. It was reminiscent of Kallie’s magic, but deep at this man’s core, I could tell he wasn’t fae. There was some sort of illusion on him— an enchantment he couldn’t get away from.
I tangled my magic in his and siphoned it for my own. The fae magic was easy to manipulate because it was a lot like my Elf magic, only stronger. The illusion was more concrete than an Elf’s, but I’d been growing my powers, and it was easy to break.
As the illusion fell away, the origin of his magic became clear. He was an Astromancer.
What the hell was an Astromancer doing in the palace? They didn’t like to get involved in wars between the supernatural communities, and I certainly didn’t expect one of them to be working with the Warden.
But what did I know? The only Astromancer I’d ever met had been my counselor back at the Institute, and he wasn’t here now?—
“Don’t try to stop me, Charlie,” the assailant growled. “You won’t get away from the Warden this time. We’ll kill you and your wife if it’s the last thing we do!”
My blood turned to ice. There were very few people I recognized just by the sound of their voice, but I knew the cadence of his speech far too well. I’d sat through endless weeks of therapy sessions with him.
I didn’t get it. He was a Demigod Guardian… he wouldn’t hurt me. There was no way.
But here Professor Takahashi was in the flesh, threatening to end my life. Takahashi had been missing, along with Hemlock, since we left the Institute. I didn’t understand how he got here, or where he’d been all this time.
“What’s going on?” I demanded.
Takahashi didn’t bother offering an answer. He threw himself at me, but this time, I was prepared. I spun out of the way, then used a quick maneuver I’d learned in fight club to pin his arm behind his back. I heard the tear of tendons and the snap of the joint popping out of the socket. Takahashi let out a pained cry. He went fucking crazy, screaming curses and gnashing his teeth at me like he was a wild dog. I couldn’t imagine what possessed him to do such a thing. He was always such a kind-hearted man.
Looked like his kindness had run out. I figured he must’ve been bewitched. I tried to break whatever hold the spell he wasunder had on him, but I couldn’t do it, which shocked me. With my Elf magic, I should’ve been able to break anything.
Guess I was going to have to do this the old-fashioned way.
I grabbed Takahashi by the back of the head and slammed his temple downward onto the hard back of the nearest chair. I heard the crunch of bone as his nose connected with it, then the splatter of blood as it sprayed everywhere. His body went limp, and he slumped to the ground.
The heavy footsteps of guards flooded into the room. They’d obviously heard the commotion, and they quickly grabbed Takahashi and dragged him away from me.
“What are your orders, sire?” one of them asked.
“Prop him up on the chair,” I spat. “We need to interrogate him. This was no ordinary attack.”
