us we shouldn’t lose her again.” Layla
felt confident. Riley stiffened suddenly.
“There’s someone around the back.” His eyes narrowed, the
pupils expanding as his power snapped on the air.
“Let’s move,” Ben replied instantly as he pulled his handgun
from its holster. The two wizards strode across the street. Layla found it
interesting how quickly they could snap to attention, their whole demeanor
changing in an instant. Gone was the relaxed, fun-loving attitudes and in their
place hardened warriors sprang forth.
She followed them both a pace behind, scanning their
surroundings. Their opponents had already proven to be well organized and
violent. She didn’t want them to be ambushed or taken by surprise.
They circled around the back of the cottage. Ben and Riley
both froze in place, Layla halting a moment later before she could run into
them. The air around them crackled, heat washing over her as they jacked up
their senses. Not sensing anyone behind them, Layla turned her attention to the
back of the cottage, noting the back door stood open a crack.
Impatient, she wondered why neither wizard made a move
toward the cottage. She bit down on her lip, not wanting to intrude on their
turf. Both men had more experience than she in such matters.
“Crystal alarm system,” Ben spoke softly. Layla stepped
closer so she could hear the exchange.
“Think it’s a coincidence?” Riley replied, his tone
indicating his skepticism. She’d heard of the new security devices. They were
expensive and still being tested as a home warning system. The presence of
one—which Layla could not detect—suggested whomever this witch was, she was
connected to powerful people. Layla had only heard of Council members and
Tribunal elders having them to date.
“Not likely,” Ben confirmed Layla’s own thoughts. “This
Investigation only gets more interesting.”
A crash sounded from inside, galvanizing them into action.
The two wizards surged forward, Layla only a step behind them.
“Take the left, Riley,” Ben commanded. Riley nodded as he
pulled a small handgun out from under his shirt.
Both men paused in the doorway, magic crackling on the air
as they sent their senses out. So close to the cottage, Layla could feel the
weight of a buzz on the air. Looking down, she saw a flicker of heat on the air
near the doorframe.
Riley entered the house first and swept left, Ben directly
behind him and angling to the right. Layla hovered in the center, looking to
the corner of the wall. A small arrangement of crystals was set up in a
multifaceted diamond formation. Despite the fact no sound emitted, staring at
the system, Layla could see the vibration on the air as it sounded the alarm.
The new systems were bound by a casting that alerted the
Enforcer headquarters when the circuit created by the crystals was broken. Held
together by a small charge of magic, they were personalized to specific Mages
and could only be recharged or turned off by those specific wizards. They were
still in the experimental stage and the presence of the security system showed
that whoever lived here was connected.
“Hey!” Riley shouted. Layla looked up as gunshots rang
through the air, followed quickly by a whoosh of fire raced through the
air. Layla ran toward the room, Ben pounding directly behind her in the
corridor.
Glass shattered as they raced in. Riley crouched on the
floor, his palms pressed onto the carpet as he struggled to get upright. Layla
saw two slaughtered women prone on the floor and a gaping hole in what had been
a window looking out onto the tiny front lawn. She barely glimpsed the back of
a retreating form.
“I’ll check the rest of the house, stay here with Riley,”
Ben snapped, his weapon still drawn. Without a further word, he turned out of
the room. Layla rushed over to Riley. Sweat beaded across his brow, strain
evident on his face as he clutched his thigh. A gaping wound had torn through
his jeans, the smell of singed
felt confident. Riley stiffened suddenly.
“There’s someone around the back.” His eyes narrowed, the
pupils expanding as his power snapped on the air.
“Let’s move,” Ben replied instantly as he pulled his handgun
from its holster. The two wizards strode across the street. Layla found it
interesting how quickly they could snap to attention, their whole demeanor
changing in an instant. Gone was the relaxed, fun-loving attitudes and in their
place hardened warriors sprang forth.
She followed them both a pace behind, scanning their
surroundings. Their opponents had already proven to be well organized and
violent. She didn’t want them to be ambushed or taken by surprise.
They circled around the back of the cottage. Ben and Riley
both froze in place, Layla halting a moment later before she could run into
them. The air around them crackled, heat washing over her as they jacked up
their senses. Not sensing anyone behind them, Layla turned her attention to the
back of the cottage, noting the back door stood open a crack.
Impatient, she wondered why neither wizard made a move
toward the cottage. She bit down on her lip, not wanting to intrude on their
turf. Both men had more experience than she in such matters.
“Crystal alarm system,” Ben spoke softly. Layla stepped
closer so she could hear the exchange.
“Think it’s a coincidence?” Riley replied, his tone
indicating his skepticism. She’d heard of the new security devices. They were
expensive and still being tested as a home warning system. The presence of
one—which Layla could not detect—suggested whomever this witch was, she was
connected to powerful people. Layla had only heard of Council members and
Tribunal elders having them to date.
“Not likely,” Ben confirmed Layla’s own thoughts. “This
Investigation only gets more interesting.”
A crash sounded from inside, galvanizing them into action.
The two wizards surged forward, Layla only a step behind them.
“Take the left, Riley,” Ben commanded. Riley nodded as he
pulled a small handgun out from under his shirt.
Both men paused in the doorway, magic crackling on the air
as they sent their senses out. So close to the cottage, Layla could feel the
weight of a buzz on the air. Looking down, she saw a flicker of heat on the air
near the doorframe.
Riley entered the house first and swept left, Ben directly
behind him and angling to the right. Layla hovered in the center, looking to
the corner of the wall. A small arrangement of crystals was set up in a
multifaceted diamond formation. Despite the fact no sound emitted, staring at
the system, Layla could see the vibration on the air as it sounded the alarm.
The new systems were bound by a casting that alerted the
Enforcer headquarters when the circuit created by the crystals was broken. Held
together by a small charge of magic, they were personalized to specific Mages
and could only be recharged or turned off by those specific wizards. They were
still in the experimental stage and the presence of the security system showed
that whoever lived here was connected.
“Hey!” Riley shouted. Layla looked up as gunshots rang
through the air, followed quickly by a whoosh of fire raced through the
air. Layla ran toward the room, Ben pounding directly behind her in the
corridor.
Glass shattered as they raced in. Riley crouched on the
floor, his palms pressed onto the carpet as he struggled to get upright. Layla
saw two slaughtered women prone on the floor and a gaping hole in what had been
a window looking out onto the tiny front lawn. She barely glimpsed the back of
a retreating form.
“I’ll check the rest of the house, stay here with Riley,”
Ben snapped, his weapon still drawn. Without a further word, he turned out of
the room. Layla rushed over to Riley. Sweat beaded across his brow, strain
evident on his face as he clutched his thigh. A gaping wound had torn through
his jeans, the smell of singed
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