Chapter 1
Stormshadow sifted through the items from Devin’s camp, frustrated. How could he have not noticed the Dark Master’s influence? He should have felt it when he fought Devin, maybe he’d been too focused on Jinx. This could never happen again, the Dark Tower and all remnants of the Dark Master needed to be destroyed. Boreas grumbled at him.
“You know I can’t understand you when you talk like that.”
Jinx laughed as she walked up.
“I can understand him perfectly fine.” She smirked as she looked at Stormshadow’s surprised face. “He is part cat after all.” She petted Boreas’s great head as he dripped it toward her, accepting the treat she brought him, chatting to him softly in a language only they knew.
Stormshadow grumbled as he turned back to the campsite. Nothing felt magical, just normal items for camping, Devin’s wood carving tools and a few projects that had never been delivered. Stormy picked up the carved doll, he knew Michael had commissioned it for Melody. Did they dare give the doll to the child, knowing who had carved it? He loaded everything into the cart, nodding to Boreas. The great beast slowly moved toward Karolina’s cottage. Only she would be able to determine if these items were safe or needed to be destroyed, though if Stormy had his way, he would burn anything that man touched. He would burn down the world to protect his family.
Jinx walked alongside him, reaching for his hand, rubbing softly against his side. She had been extra cuddly lately, part of her cat nature. Maybe he could convince Hope to have a sleepover at Melody’s house tonight. Stormy allowed more pleasant thoughts to take over his mind, pulling his focus away from the cart ahead of him.
The air was full of the sounds of the forest, birds, insects, the breeze through the leaves, all sang their song to the morning. Stormy breathed out a resolute breath, no matter what Karolina found with these items, he needed to be sure the Dark Master would never pose a threat to his family again. The tower needed to be destroyed, and every piece of his evil magic destroyed forever.
He looked at Jinx, smiling as she enjoyed the morning breeze through her hair. He knew she missed her true form, that she maintained her human form more often, so they looked like they belonged together. Though what she didn’t realize, was that he loved her in any form, she was the other half of his soul, and nothing would change that.
Memories of her broken body filled his mind, the feeling of her slipping away, the fear that he would lose her forever. Stormy never wanted to feel that again. He vowed his family would be safe, at any cost. He began planning his quest. He would ask Tom and Michael to come with him, as well as Karolina. They could determine what needed to be done to destroy the tower.
Jinx and Lyra could stay in the village, to mind the children and the shops. Jinx wouldn’t like it, but Stormy couldn’t have her in that evil place. She could be mad at him the rest of their lives, but he would always protect her.
Jinx tugged his arm slightly, pulling him back to the present, concern behind her smile. Stormy smiled back, brushing her cheek with his fingertips. Boreas made a rude sound as Stormy pulled Jinx close for a kiss. Stormy shot him a dark look, while Jinx laughed.
“He said get a room.” She whispered in his ear. Stormy pulled away, while his new friend chuckled, his wings moving as he did. Boreas did love to tease him. Now that the gryphon had been released from the Dark Master’s influence, he had become a good friend. He currently slept in the meadow behind Jinx and Stormy’s house, but they were planning to build him his own home for the coming winter. It might not be anything fancy, but it would be a warm place of his own.
The cart bumped over the rocks and divots in the road, shifting the contents slightly. The doll for Melody bounced happily along, the carved smile on her face made Stormy worry that it hid something sinister behind the beauty. He shook his head to disperse the thoughts, not everything Devin touched held evil. Karolina had only found two vials of potion with him after he’d died, both stolen magic from his father’s tower. Short term potions, the effects of which would have been long gone by now.
The one potion had been the illusion potion Devin had used to give the illusion he looked like Andrew, but the other was the one that worried Stormy the most. It had allowed him to mask the magical energy of the talisman, keeping Karolina from feeling more than an unsettled feeling when around Devin. In the wrong hands, either of these potions could be extremely dangerous. It had been bad enough that Devin had the potions, what if he had possessed magical abilities of his own?
Karolina was waiting for them as they crested the hill, Stormy could see her shift back and forth nervously. At least he wasn’t the only one worried about what they would find. Boreas pulled the cart around to the side of the house, as Karolina hurried after them. She carried a few items Stormy didn’t recognize, but he could see her Setna beads clutched firmly in her hand. Melody followed close behind, already more sure of her role as the second witch in their family. Hope rode on her little mistress's shoulder, her tail tightly wrapped around her neck, her wings moving to keep her balance.
“This is everything.” Stormy told Karolina as she climbed onto the side of the wagon. “What do you think?”
