Saved by the Spell (Anna Wolfe Series, Book #2) (2 page)

Chapter 2

The once magically warded cabin now sits as it did for so many years: dilapidated and gloomy. Squeaks and moans echo in the quiet night, evoking the memory of Micah’s victory. She’s gone. Brielle and Janie sit quietly on the wooden steps of the porch, staring blankly into the woods. Roman leans against the banister and the truth forces Valen to pace the porch in distraught apprehension.

“I can’t believe this!” Valen yells, raking his fingers through his disheveled, jet-black hair. “This is all your fault, Roman! If we hadn’t gone to the stupid ball, Anna wouldn’t have been taken!” he spits, while pointing at Roman indignantly.

“Had we not gone to the ball, Janie would have been dead, and Anna would have hated us,” he fires back through gritted teeth. “The way I see it, we had no choice.”

Valen slams his feet on the decrepit wooden boards as he continues pacing in anger. Moans and creaks scream into the otherwise soundless night, as if objecting to his torture. “What are we going to do?”

“We go after her,” Roman states matter-of-factly.

Valen rolls his eyes in annoyance.

“Listen, we need a plan… a plan that involves less bickering,” Brielle butts in. “Girlfriend is relying on us and I won’t sit here listening to you two old women quarrel over whose fault it is!”

Roman shoots her a disgruntled look and Valen continues marching, disregarding her insult.

“She’s right. We need to push aside all the ‘
what ifs’ and focus on how we’re going to get her back,” Janie adds resolutely.

The porch falls into silence as inner deliberations continue. A lonely ripple of wind slides past them silently. Janie glances at the night sky, watching as a timid ray of moonlight breaks through the dense canopy above, bathing the front lawn in a
ghoulish glow. Sharp shadows droop from the trees’ withered branches, eerily roaming the lost landscape before them.

Valen stops pacing long enough to exhale loudly. “I can’t believe I allowed this to happen,
” his words emphasize his visible desperation. “I never should have left her.”

Brielle stands and walks over to him, tenderly laying her palm on his shoulder. “Listen Valen, it’s no one’s fault. We all did what we thought was right, so stop beating yourself up over it.”

He lowers his head, looking defeated. Placing his strong fingers on the bridge of his nose, he squeezes gently as a barely audible sigh escapes his tight jaw.

“Roman, did you find anyone who might be interested in helping us stop Micah?” Brielle questions, focusing her attention on him.

Roman clears his throat. “Vlad’s interest is piqued, but he still has reservations about challenging Micah. He prefers to wait until the situation threatens The Treaty or if The Highers show interest.”

“What treaty?” Valen snorts mockingly.

“My pack supports us,” Brielle declares, “and I’m positive we can rally others.”

Valen laughs. “A few werewolves and an indecisive vampire—what an invincible army we have.”

Janie shoots up, visibly agitated. “Listen… I’m sick of hearing you whine. I lost my sister tonight,” she says shakily, “and who knows if we can even get her back? What we need to do is come up with a strategic plan, one that involves rescuing her and recruiting whoever wants to help,” she concludes.

Brielle nods her head in agreement. Janie’s eyes dart hurriedly between Roman and Valen, patiently waiting for their consent. Valen nods and Roman flicks his wrist dismissively, both clear indications of their approval.

Janie turns to Brielle. “What’s the next step?”

“I’ll issue a P
ackmaster's Meeting tomorrow night to see how many pack leaders I can get on board,” Brielle answers confidently. “Valen, I expect you to be there too, packless and all.”

“I’ll reach out to Vlad and my Netherworld contacts to see who I come up with,” Roman adds.

“What about reporting her kidnapping to The Highers?” Janie questions.

“How do you know about The Highers?” Roman counters.

Janie smirks. “I know about The Highers, where they live… yada-yada. Do you really think I wouldn’t have done my research once I found out what Anna was?”

Roman grunts. “Impressive.”

“So? The Highers?” Janie persists in an annoyed tone.

Roman shakes his head. “It’s not a good idea to involve them yet.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t trust them. They won’t put themselves or
Agartha in danger, regardless of who is imprisoned by Micah. Besides, if they know we seek
The
Book of Imperium
, they might try to stop us.”

“Roman’s right. The Highers don’t involve themselves in anything unless they know for certain it will eradicate their existence,” Valen chimes in.

“That's ridiculous!” Janie yells. “Micah has Anna, so I’d say eradication is close at hand,” Janie spits. She inhales deeply, calming her nerves. “Since we can’t ask for help from the Guardians of the world, I guess I’ll research everything regarding our lineage and try to find the book’s location. I’ll inform Kristy and Martello of what’s going on too.”

“Good idea,” Brielle responds. “Also, I would suggest
that they stay with you for the time being for safety purposes, since we don’t know what Micah has planned.”

Janie nods. The four say their goodbyes and step off the porch into the shadowy night. Valen and Brielle carve their own trail, disappearing into the thick brush. Janie wraps her arms around her as the chilly night air lightly brushes across her skin.

“Here,” Roman offers, wrapping his tuxedo jacket around her tiny shoulders.

“Thank you,” she replies shyly.

“I’m sorry about Anna. We never guessed this would've happened.”

“It’s no one’s fault. Trust me, I know Anna and she wouldn’t have listened to anyone’s advice, regardless of the dangers.
”

Roman snorts. “She is an unwavering woman.”

“That’s one way to put it,” Janie giggles. “When we were younger, she always fought for what was right, regardless of the consequences. She never backed down,” she sighs. “Needless to say, she was no stranger to trouble.”

“The way I see it
, there are two kinds of trouble: the kind that causes injury and the kind that demands change. Anna is one of the rare few capable of differentiating between the two,” he replies.

Janie steals a quick glance at Roman, appreciative of his respect for her sister. A thin string of light falls from the night sky, brushing his angular cheekbones with a crisp white hue. He is undeniably a looker, if nothing else.

“I can’t help but think if I told her beforehand what she was, perhaps none of this would have happened.”

Roman stops walking and gingerly grabs Janie’s arm, pulling her to face him. “Janie, Anna’s kidnapping isn’t anyone’s fault. You and your family tried to protect her, not realizing what an amazing asset she is to our kind,” he states with stern eyes. “I would have done the same thing.”

Janie swallows the gigantic lump in her throat, wondering how Anna was able to keep her wits about her in his presence, which is in a word, demanding. “I… ah… I just feel this all could have been avoided somehow,” she responds sheepishly. “Now, we have to worry about her and the fate of everyone else,” she adds, dropping her gaze as she begins to examine the carpet of delicate leaves smashed beneath her feet.

Roman releases her arm and continues walking. “Everything will work out,” he replies noncommittally.

Janie follows silently, exhausted from trying to articulate her fear into words. If she only warned Anna, none of this would have happened. Lost in thought, Janie fails to notice the large mansion suddenly obstructing their path. The imposing home rises from the darkness, utterly absent of tranquility. Its intimidating stone walls and guarded doors suggest the comparison of a prison—overbearing and cumbersome. Janie sighs as she approaches the mansion hesitantly. The idea of walking through the arrogant home deters her. Instead, she changes course, preferring to walk around the side of the house, and delighting in the detour. Roman follows silently as if feeling the same way. They plop into the idling limo, devoid of all emotion. She turns to face him, immediately becoming lost in his deep, cobalt eyes.

“Roman...” she hesitates. “Do you honestly believe we’ll find her?”

He clears his throat with obvious discomfort. “I hope so, Janie… I hope so.”

Seeing his lack of confidence scares her the most. When an arrogant man loses his sense of entitlement, it's a warning that the situation is more than serious.

“We should try and find a portal or something,” she suggests.

Roman places his strong fingers on the bridge of his nose, squeezing it in irritation. “We can’t just go
looking for any portal, Janie… it’s more complicated than that. Do you know how many portals are used daily? Thousands. Besides, in order to use a portal, you must have a destination.”

“Tell me then, what can we do?”

“We have to rally some people before we attempt to invade the Netherworld. If Micah knows we are there, or even senses we might be, Anna’s safety will be instantly compromised.”

“Do you know anyone
other than us, who can try to find her down there?” she asks, pointing to the ground.

He exhales loudly. “There might be, but it’s risky.
Not a single person can even step foot near Ignis without being detected.”

“Ignis?” Janie repeats curiously.

“Ignis is Latin for fire. It's a small area in the Netherworld and the locals refer to it as the City of Fire. That's where Micah and Lucifer live, hold court, and destroy lives... you know, where they conduct business as usual,” he snorts.

“Oh,” Janie replies. “Do you know anyone who
might be able to get in there?”

“I know one person.
His name is Landon and his skills might be extremely useful in our dilemma.”

“What kind of skills?”

“He’s a Shadowalker."

Janie eyes him quizzically.

“He’s able to transport through shadows—any here,” he points to Earth, “and in any Dimension.” Roman rubs his stubbly chin with unbridled amusement. “Since Ignis sits in a state of dimness, he might be able to help us.”

A smile slowly creeps across Janie’s face. “How do we find him?”

“That’s the problem. He’s nearly untraceable, owing to his talents and skills. He can literally disappear.”

“Do whatever you have to, Roman
. We need to find him.”

Roman nods as he pulls his cell phone from his pocket. He presses a few numbers before placing his phone to his ear.

“Vlad? It’s Roman. I need your resources. I have to find Landon, the Shadowalker, or at least, be pointed in the right direction.”

Janie can hear Vlad's boisterous laughter through the receiver. “Vlad, now is not the time for this. I know he’s impossible to trace, but he’s our only hope for finding and saving Anna… Okay. I’ll be there shortly.”

Roman presses the end button and tosses the phone next to him. “I need to get to the Netherworld and meet with Vlad. He has the resources to trace Landon if need be.”

“It sounds impossible.” Janie’s brief flash of hope extinguishes.

“Well, my dear, it is,” Roman replies sarcastically. “But it’s the only chance we have.”

Janie turns her head towards the window, wishing she could disappear into the night's dark cover. Anxiety settles over her at the thought of having to tell Kristy and Martello about Anna. They're not going to take it well, especially Kristy. Janie sighs hard, leaning the back of her head against the cool leather. Her parents float through her mind, but Janie refuses to acknowledge them. They know she's alive and well, so the last thing she wants to do is tell them their ot
her daughter has been taken... at least not yet. The limo bounces and dips as it enters Anna's driveway, slowly coming to a halt. Before the driver has a chance to open her door, Janie jumps out.

“Thanks, Roman,”
she says, flinging his tuxedo jacket on the seat next to him.

“
You're welcome. I'll be back as soon as I can.”

With that, Janie shuts the door and walks toward the illuminated house. She glances down at her watch, and realizes it is 3:00 am, the witching hour. Chills
coil around her spine. Light pours from the front windows, indicating someone in the house must still be awake. Janie drags herself up the porch steps, reluctant to open the door. She wraps her fingers around the knob, gathering the much-needed strength to twist it. Before she turns her wrist, the sound of clicking urges her to release it. The door swings wide open and reveals a very distraught Martello and equally as anxious Kristy. Their faces turn to astonishment when they see it is Janie standing there.

“
Janie?! Oh my gosh! You’re alive!” Kristy exclaims.

Martello reaches for Janie's arm, gently pulling her inside. "Girl, we was so worried ‘bout you.
” He squeezes her into a tight bear hug, patting the back of her head like a mother would go about consoling a child after a fall.