My heart hammered in my chest, thumping so fast and so hard that I grew lightheaded despite my head hanging down. Cameron had called off the werewolves guarding me? No wonder nobody was coming to help. Nobody was here.

I mentally fought as hard as I could against the binding spell, the gag spell, and the magical handcuffs again. But nothing I did worked.

Dammit, Tala, don’t give up. Do something! Because if Kaillen and all of the wolves guarding me were gone, that meant . . .

“We’ll be out of your hair within the minute.” Goatee Sorcerer pulled a portal key from his pocket.

Oh shit.

Since a portal key was similar to Kaillen’s ability, I could be anywhere in seconds, as portal keys created a one-time portal hop to wherever the bearer desired.

Goatee Sorcerer whispered the words to activate the key’s spell, while Cameron retreated to the woods.

This can’t be happening.

I squeezed my eyes shut and searched frantically inside myself for my new power again as the sorcerers stepped toward the glowing portal. Maybe, just maybe, I could break my magic free. This felt like my last chance, because once we stepped through that portal, I’d be transported to an unknown location and would be hundreds, if not thousands, of miles away.

I called upon my new magic again with everything I had.

My awakening power slithered upward, like an octopus searching and hunting. Its tentacles writhed and flowed, so I shot them down my arms, spearing them toward the sorcerers as hard as I could, and—

My new power hit that electric wall again, and it felt as if ice shards cut right through me. If not for the gag spell, I would have yelped. Panting from exertion, I reluctantly let my new power slink back inside, back to that cavern deep in my belly, hiding once more in its dark cave.

My chest rose and fell frantically. We were only steps away from entering the portal. I was screwed, totally screwed. The only chance I had was if Kaillen found me. I could only hope that the hunter tracked me.

But what if he couldn’t? Or wouldn’t? What if he no longer wanted to because he’d already made his wolf submit and had eradicated the bond? Then I would be just like every other female he’d encountered at the Black Underbelly—an irritating nobody to be ignored.

I squeezed my eyes shut again, the only things I could move since my body was still paralyzed from the binding spell. It was possible that I was on my own, that it would be hours before anyone knew I’d been taken. And even when they found out, it was possible that no one would come.

The portal winds blew across my cheek as panic and terror threatened to consume me, because I was on my own, and I had absolutely nothing to fight with.

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Chapter 25

The sorcerers held on to me during the portal transfer, their hands clamping onto my body like vile leeches sucking blood from their prey. I shuddered and continued to mentally fight them, but it did little to help. I was completely useless without my magic, voice, or limbs.

The portal deposited us in a city, and we emerged in the back of an alleyway. It looked like every other alley in North America. Narrow lane, black asphalt, tall buildings on each side. For all I knew, we were in Chicago or Edmonton or New York or San Francisco. I had no idea.

“He’s waiting.” The tall sorcerer carried me toward a sedan idling at the street’s curb. Its engine purred like a giant cat sleeping at the alley’s mouth.

Goatee Sorcerer waved his arms, and a shimmering illusion spell appeared around us.

Great. Now anyone walking by on the street won’t even see me.

Mentally, I fought again, clawing and screaming against my restraints, but as before, the sorcerers’ binding and gag spells were too strong, and without being able to access any of my magic, I was no stronger than a human.

We reached the end of the alleyway, and the sedan’s trunk popped open. A fresh bout of terror sliced through me when I realized they were going to put me in a trunk. It was everyone’s worst nightmare.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the driver’s car door open and a man step out.

“She’s still conscious?” the man asked.

Since I couldn’t turn my head, I couldn’t see him clearly in my peripheral vision, but the cold detachment of his voice made goosebumps sprout along my skin. He sounded so clinical.

“She is, sir.”

“Remedy that immediately. She shouldn’t be awake right now.”

“Yes, sir.”

The sorcerer began to whisper a sedating spell, and dread filled my stomach. I was going to be drugged, tossed into a trunk, and taken to who knew where.

The sorcerer reached for me, his spelled fingers going for my neck, and a huge push of adrenaline had me fighting again. I squeezed my eyes shut and called upon every ounce of my power, bursting all of it wide open. A shiver ran through me just as the sorcerer’s finger touched my skin.

His whispered words skated over my body when another jolt of my power hit the binding spell, zapping pain running through my entire frame when the cuffs activated again, still containing my magic

My eyes flashed wide open as the sorcerer’s drugging spell began to weave around me, but then a glowing yellow portal appeared behind him and the spell abruptly stopped.

A ferocious bellow roared through the street as Kaillen flew through the glowing golden circle. He crashed into Goatee Sorcerer to my left, falling upon him like a dark angel.

The hunter had moved so quickly, and with such lethal precision, that in the blink of an eye the sorcerer was knocked to the ground, gaping in confusion.

Kaillen was on him before he could react, wrapping his hands around his neck in a blurred motion. A resounding crack split through the air around us, and my eyes turned to saucers when I saw that Goatee Sorcerer’s neck was bent at an odd angle.

His illusion spell, which had hidden our activity, vanished.

“Shit!” Tall Sorcerer whispered a new illusion spell, then threw me to the ground.

Pain exploded in my chest when I hit the pavement like a sack of potatoes. But the haphazard throw had me rolling to face Clinical Dude at the car.

Another bellow came from the hunter as he descended upon Tall Sorcerer, but the sorcerer was expecting him, not falling so easily.

Clinical Dude watched Kaillen and the sorcerer fight with cool detachment, and since I was finally able to see him, I took in his appearance all at once, committing his features to memory.

Short brown hair. Wide mouth. Medium build.

His expression didn’t change or falter. Not even a hint of terror or disbelief coated his features. Instead, he calmly reached inside the sedan and pulled out a second pair of those blue cuffs. But the cuffs weren’t glowing yet. That must only happen when they were closed and activated, but it was obvious Clinical Dude intended to put the second pair on Kaillen.

Grunts and the sound of sizzling casting magic continued to come from the hunter and Tall Sorcerer. Eyes widening in horror, I could only watch as Clinical Dude lifted a hand and wove it through the air. A huge cloud of magic began to swirl around him, and I fought anew against the binding spell holding me. Squeezing my eyes shut, I clawed and pulled at everything in me.

Rise, fight, break me free! Please!

Everything in me responded at once. My awakening power, my forbidden one, and all of my witch magic. It all swirled together, combining, and growing. I didn’t even know they could be mixed, but I didn’t hesitate. I let instinct guide me, and it was as though the final puzzle piece clicked into place. All of the days I’d been training with Kaillen aligned, and a sudden sense of yes, this is what I can do came over me.