Wicked Magic (The Royals: Witch Court Book 2) Read online

  Wicked Magic

  The Royals: Witch Court Book Two

  Megan Montero

  For mom and dad. Thank you for always supporting me and being my #1 fans.

  Xoxo-Meg

  Contents

  Wicked Magic

  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

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  About the Author

  Wicked Magic

  Megan Montero

  Chapter 1

  Zinnia

  “We have to go after her.” I wrapped my arms around Tucker’s waist and buried my face in his chest. Hot tears streaked down my cheeks. Each one rolled off my chin and stained his ripped shirt. His body was unnaturally warm against mine, I leaned into him, finding comfort in his unbreakable embrace. The wind drifted over my face, taunting me with my mother’s honeysuckle scent. I lost her. Oh god, she’s gone.

  The ache in my chest spread from my stomach all the way up to my throat. My breaths came in panicked puffs. I was getting no air and too much at the same time. My mother had just been kidnapped by the evilest being I’d ever seen in my life, and I could do nothing about it. Helpless didn’t even begin to describe the hurricane of emotions I was feeling right now.

  When I forced the barrier for Hexia to go back up, it expelled Alataris and all of the Thralls he had under his control. He’d transformed innocent witches into Thralls, using them to threaten us all by controlling them with his black magic, I hated him for it. They were evil in its purest form and attacked the witches of Hexia mercilessly... It was all his fault.

  I hadn’t known or expected to expel them, but most of all, I hadn’t thought he would grab my mother at the last second and take her with him. This is all my fault.

  A soft sob broke past my lips. “We have to save her.”

  “We will, just not right now.” Tucker wound his arms tighter across my shoulders, keeping me close to him. Did he just kiss my hair?

  I shoved at his chest. “What do you mean not right now?”

  “We have to get back to the Academy.” He clutched me harder to him while I thrashed against his towering body. I wanted to be angry with him for holding me back, wanted to ignore the fact he had a point. But when I peered into his warm honey eyes, I felt the fight leave my body.

  Tucker loosened his hold on me, then motioned to the pavilion where we just fought off Alataris’ invasion. “Look around you, Zin. We aren’t ready to go after him, and if we do now, we will all die. How would that help your mother? She needs us alive.”

  I balled my hands in fists and pushed at him with everything I had. This time, he dropped his arms completely and let me turn from him to face the direction Alataris had flown. My body thrummed with the magic I siphoned from the old stone protecting Hexia. It swirled around my fingers and arms in silvery streaming light. My magic, the magic I’d only learned about days ago. I didn’t know how to control it, didn’t know what I could do with it. All I knew was I had to learn, and I had to learn quick. “I can’t think about that now.”

  He wrapped his hand in the crook of my arm then spun me around to face him. Long dark strands of my hair fell into my face in messy waves. I tucked them behind my ears, it wouldn’t help contain the windblown mess I knew my hair was.

  Tuck leaned into me. “We have to go now. The whole crew needs medical attention and I don’t want to draw it from the people of Hexia. Just look, Zinnia. Nova, Tabi, Serrina, and Adrienne barely survived this. And Grayson…Gray is lying in a tent recovering from the siren attack. We…are…not…ready. We need to go back.”

  When I looked around, I knew he was right. “I can’t give up my mom, Tuck. I need her.”

  “I’m not saying we are going to give up on her. I’m saying we need to regroup, make a plan. Hell, give our crew a chance to heal their wounds.” The muscle in his jaw flexed. “But we will get her back, I swear it.”

  Part of me wanted to turn and sprint headlong for my mom, but deep down I knew if we were going to help her, running to a fight I couldn’t win would be worse. We’d already faced Alataris when we weren’t ready and nearly lost everything. I wasn’t prepared to risk my mother or the rest of them. “What if he hurts her?”

  My mind reeled with all the ways he could torture her. I knew that cave-like cell well. Memories of the smell of decay, waste, and fear assailed me as if I were standing there this very moment. It was a jagged rocky cave with thick bars running from the ceiling down to the ground. While I was there I couldn’t tell day from night, time felt like it’d stopped. Now, my mother was trapped in that hellish place. When Alataris held me captive, he was on the verge of insanity. Now with her near, would he fall off the edge?

  Tucker gazed off, seeming to think about his next words. “He won’t hurt her.”

  “You don’t know that. You weren’t there, trapped on that island with him. I was. I know it was only for a day. But it was long enough to know he’s not just evil. He’s crazed.” I pressed my fingers to my mouth, trying to fight off the nausea rolling through me. My world was turned upside down in only a few days. I had yet to figure out my way and now this…

  “You’re right I wasn’t there, but there’s one thing I know.” He stood with his hands fisted at his sides, six and a half feet of towering menace.

  At this time of night, he looked dangerous with the wicked phoenix tattoo he had running down the side of his neck. But I knew Tuck, he would never be a danger to me. Even after a battle he was still gorgeous in my eyes. His tasseled hair was a mess of dark auburn falling just above his jawline. His shirt was torn all over, revealing the rippling muscles covering his torso.

  I pressed my lips into a hard line and glanced out over the destruction Alataris brought down on Hexia, the last free witch stronghold. “What’s that?”

  When he stepped in closer, his warm woodsy scent washed over me. “Even he isn’t capable of doing damage to your mom.”

  “You can’t know that. There’s no telling what he’ll do next.” As I looked out at the shops around the pavilion, I couldn’t pry my eyes away from the shattered glass, broken down doorways and small fires everywhere. Families huddled together under makeshift tents. They were covered in dirt, blood and grime. The eerie silence was broken only by the cries of small children and moans of the injured. This is what I imagined a war zone would feel like. He was here for less than an hour. What would he do with my mom with an indefinite amount of time? Hexia was the last witch stronghold. Alataris had taken down the barrier within days. What did that mean for the rest of Evermore? What did that mean for her?

  “I do know this: if your mom is Alataris’ soulmate, she will be okay. Even he can’t hurt his own soulmate.” Tuck reached out and tugged me toward the end of the main road where a triage station was set up. “Come on, let’s get back now.”

  My mother had used the dark sprawling mark around her w
rist to distract Alataris long enough, so I could save Hexia. She’d sacrificed herself for these people…for me. Tucker was right. We needed a plan to get her back. Which would take time and a detailed strategy. More than even I needed to learn the full extent of my powers and how to use them. For now, I’d have to help get our crew ready to fight. I sucked in a deep breath then swiped the tears off my cheeks. When I looked down at my hands, they were caked with dirt and streaked with tears. I could only imagine what my face looked like. White ash smudged my boots and the bottom of my leggings. “Let’s go.”

  Tucker called out to Beckett and Brax. “You guys get Grayson. We have to go back to Evermore Academy.” Beckett didn’t say a word he simply turned and pushed Brax in the direction of where the medical tents were.

  I spun around to find the other queens struggling free of the bindings that’d been wrapped around their wrists and ankles. Nova, Queen of Death, was the first to get to her feet. Her white-blond hair hung in a tangled matted mess down the sides of her dirt-smudged face. As I approached them she bent to help Serrina free herself from her bindings. I dropped to my knees to pull the ropes from her legs. “Are you guys okay?”

  Nova narrowed her eyes at me. “I got it, Zinnia.”

  I pulled my hands back like she’d burned me. “I was just trying to help.”

  “How did you know you could take all the magic from that stone? And how did you do it, did Alataris tell you how?” Her accusing words were a slap to my face. In truth I didn’t know if I could do it, but something in me demanded that I do what I could to stop him. Nova pressed her lips into a thin line, then yanked the gag out of Serrina’s mouth.

  I sat back on my heels. “If I didn’t try, we’d all be under his rule or worse, dead and drained of our magic. Is that what you wanted me to let happen?”

  Serrina, Queen of Desires, pulled the ropes from around her ankles. When she looked up at me, for a moment I thought I saw fear. She was a goddess-looking girl with long flowing blond streaked hair, pouting red lips and a punk-rock style that would have any boy begging at her feet. Yet as she looked at me with accusations in those emerald eyes, I felt like running the other way. How could she fear me?

  She shot to her feet and grabbed my wrist so hard it pinched, then yanked me to my feet. “Are you working with him? Tell me now.”

  Her power hit me so hard I stumbled back, gasping. It only took me a moment to adjust to it wrapping around my body. But as I stood there fighting not to let it in, I realized Serrina’s powers didn’t affect me. Unless I wanted them to, it was more of a nuisance than anything else. Was this something any Siphon Witch could do?

  I fought to get my arm back, but she didn’t let go. “What the hell, Serrina?”

  “Are you with him?” She shook me so hard my hair fell into my eyes.

  “Serrina, stop!” Tucker came up beside me and grabbed her hand tight enough that it loosened her hold.

  I yanked my arm from her grip. Her nails scraped across my skin as I pulled free. “Are you insane? I just saved all your asses.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest and looked down her pert nose. “You can’t blame me for thinking it. How did he know you’d be here when he captured you?”

  I took a step back. “I don’t know how! I was dragged out of a cave that we all went into, remember?”

  Tucker shoved between us. “Stop it, Serrina. He kidnapped her, and then she did everything in her power to get back here and save Hexia and us.”

  “Psh. What a power is it. When I heard of the siphon I thought, great we can finally unite. Not, that my powers could be taken from me!” She pointed a finger toward me. “Just don’t think you’re draining my magic from me again.”

  Her words stung. I thought I finally found the world I belonged in. But standing here now I wasn’t so sure. In all honesty, I wasn’t sure of who I was. A daughter? A friend? A soulmate? A Siphon Witch? Or even a Witch Queen? All I did know was that until I figured this all out I had to put on a brave face and show no weaknesses. Even if that weakness was them hurting my feelings. I lifted my hand up, letting the magic from the stone flow through my body and into my palm. I held it there, a silver sphere of power that stayed with me even after I made a new barrier. “Looks like I’m all filled up for now.” I arched my eyebrow at her.

  She glanced over her shoulder to Nova and Tabi. “Come on, let’s go.” She stormed off in the direction of the portal back to the academy.

  Tabitha, Queen of Elements, stopped for a moment, letting Serrina get further away. The wind rustled her wild mane of curls, and dark smudges marred her light ebony skin as she sucked in a deep breath. She shrugged, and when she met my gaze with her vivid hazel eyes, I froze, waiting for her harsh words. “Don’t take it too hard. I think she’s just scared.” She reached out and patted my arm. “She’ll come around.”

  “Are you scared of me?” I didn’t want them to be scared of me. We were supposed to work together to take down Alataris. But if they didn’t trust me, or worse, feared me, we would die like the other queens in the cycles before us. For centuries before this the five witch castes would produce the five queens meant to take down Alataris’ evil rule over the witch court. For centuries they’d failed and now it was time for a new cycle, my cycle. I might not know the world of Evermore yet, but I did know I would do anything to keep it safe.

  “Honestly, yeah, sometimes I am.” She gave me a half-smile, then turned to follow Serrina.

  Great, just great!

  Nova stood with her arms wrapped around her midsection. She stared at the ground. “You know, Zin. I wish it hadn’t happened like this. I am grateful for you coming in and saving us. But at the same time, I just wish your power wasn’t so damn terrifying. I mean, you could turn us all to ash like you did to the old stone protecting Hexia.”

  The breath was sucked from my lungs. How could they all think this about me? Hadn’t I just won the day? Saved Hexia and all its people?

  “Just because I turned the stone to ash doesn’t mean I could do that to you or anyone else.” I needed to get out of here. I need to escape from their accusing looks. “I would never do anything like that.”

  I walked right past her, heading to no place in particular. All I knew was I had to get away from them…from here.

  Tucker’s footsteps thundered behind me, then suddenly, he was at my side. “Where are you going?”

  “Away.” My heart pounded in my ears, my hands shook with anger and magic spilled out of me like I was a Disney character about to fairy godmother someone’s ass.

  “Away from where?” His warm, deep voice ran over my skin like velvet.

  I froze and spun to face him. “Away from here.” I couldn’t stop my arms from flailing as I spoke. “I just saved all of you, in case you didn’t notice. My mom was taken from me, and now all I’m getting in return is being treated like I ran over someone’s dog.”

  “I’m not looking at you like that.”

  When I met his heated gaze, I knew he wasn’t thinking I might turn him to ash too. His eyes were liquid honey drawing me in.

  I shook myself. “But everyone else is. It’s not fair. I did something good here. I shouldn’t be punished for it.”

  Tuck reached out and placed his hand on my upper arms and drew me closer to him. The heat of his touch spread across my body. It was still night in Hexia. Fires were lit to keep the streets bright. In the glow of the dying firelight his skin appeared to be tan, and hints of auburn hair stood out to me. “They’ll calm down.”

  He darted is tongue over his lips, wetting them. I wanted to go up on my tip toes and take his mouth with mine. I wanted him to kiss me until I forgot the world around me, until I forgot about the queens, Alataris and the fact my mother was gone. I drifted toward him, ready to press my mouth to his, ready to find the one place I might belong in this moment.

  “Tucker! Tucker, come quick.” Niche’s voice carried over to us.

  He took a step back and slammed his hands to his
sides. When his eyes met mine I knew he was leaning too close to me to. One moment he looked shocked with his raised eyebrows and parted lips. In the next he smoothed his features then faced Niche, who was running down the street toward us. Her fire engine red hair streamed out behind her, her glasses bounced on her face with every step she took and her normally pristine white lab coat was now covered in dirt and blood.

  He called out to her, “What’s happened?”

  She waved for us to come with her. “It’s Grayson. He’s…he’s dying. The healers said he doesn’t have much time left.”

  A nervous ball formed in my throat as Tucker wrapped his hand around mine and we both ran toward Grayson.

  Chapter 2

  Tucker

  At the end of the dirt road, five large tents stood with row after row of cots for the injured. I tried to keep my eyes forward and not stare at the carnage Alataris and his Thralls brought down upon Hexia. It was an impossible task. Everywhere I turned there were witches covered in blood, wrapped in bandages or trying to help others. They lined the side of the street, waiting to get their turn to be healed. Large gashes marred their bodies from when Alataris brought the barrier down. The barrier around Hexia was like a glass wall, and when he siphoned the power out of it then dropped bombs, it rained shards on the people living here. Large chunks of the old barrier fell through buildings and made craters in the middle of the street. Even now, witches wound their way around them as they ran from place to place.