Blood Magic by N P Martin

Author:N P Martin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dark World Press

30

The Devil’s Playground

WE TELEPORTED TO a stretch of sandy beach on the north shore of the island, our boots sinking into the soft, wet sand as we landed, the stiff breeze coming off the choppy water biting our skin. Leona still held on to me as she tried to get her bearings again. “That was a rush,” she said as if we had parachuted out of a plane thousands of feet up.

“It takes a bit of getting used to,” I said, as I looked around for signs of life, seeing nothing but rocks, trees and sand. “The dizziness will stop shortly. It’s just your brain readjusting and trying to make sense of the fact that it was somewhere else a second ago. But it’s fun, right?”

Leona let go of my arm and shouldered her rifle, keeping the barrel pointed downward as she surveyed her surroundings, looking every inch the professional soldier. “Seems quiet.”

“So far. No doubt that will change when we move further inland.” No doubt at all. I was pretty certain that Belger knew we were there on his private island. Any warlock or wizard worth their salt would have been able to detect intruders immediately, even if said intruders happened to be invisible to everyone but themselves.

Leona seemed concerned as she stared toward the dark woods about ten yards away. There was something ominous about those woods like an evil presence lurked there. “Something isn’t right about this place.”

“Your instincts are spot on as always.” I stared down the beach toward a rocky outcrop that jutted into the water like a huge demon mouth. “There’s a lot of darkness here.”

“Darkness?”

“Evil.”

We exchanged glances like we were crazy even to come to the island in the first place. Which we were, of course. Batshit crazy, although Leona didn't know the full danger. How could she? If she knew magic like I did—if she knew the full extent of its dark potential in the hands of someone like Hans Belger—I doubt she would have come with me. Or maybe she would have. One thing about Leona was that she was loyal, and despite only knowing me for a few days, she seemed more than willing to help. When I first met her three years before, it took her nearly a year before she displayed the kind of loyalty toward me that she was exhibiting now. I guess I should have been grateful, but I still wondered what was different. Was it because on some level she knew I was telling the truth, or because deep down she still remembered me, even if it were only on a subconscious level that her being or soul still recognized what her conscious ego could not? As curious as I was, it wasn't the time for indulgence. It was a time for focused action so we both could stay alive.

“All right,” Leona said, her slender fingers curling around the stock of her rifle. “Are we going to do this? I want off this island as soon as possible.

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