City of Magic: The Complete Series by Helen Harper (book club recommendations TXT) 📕

Anna’s skin looked white. ‘She’s still out there. She’ll keep doing this until we stop her.’

I swallowed. ‘We need to get to Maggie now.’

Chapter Twenty-Five

‘You’re not coming in.’ The two werewolves at the barricade to the northern community were stony-faced and adamant.

I threw up my hands, my furious movement a complete contrast to the wolves’ stoic facades. ‘What?’

‘Boss’s orders.’

‘You mean Monroe,’ I spat. The fucking idiot. ‘Look,’ I said, trying to calm myself, ‘he thinks that the magic means he can’t control himself. That his wolf might emerge at any second and attack me. That you are the same.’ I put my hands on my hips. ‘Do you feel like that?’ I demanded. ‘Do you feel like you’re about to turn rogue despite your best intentions?’

‘You can yell all you want,’ the first werewolf said implacably. ‘We’re only following orders.’

‘Get him here,’ I said through gritted teeth. ‘Let me talk to Monroe.’

She crossed her arms. ‘He’s gone out.’

What the hell? ‘Gone where?’

‘Dunno. It doesn’t matter. Unless I hear directly from him, you’re not coming in.’

This was unbelievable.

‘Then let me in,’ Anna said.

‘Nope. You’re human. We can’t do it. No humans are to be given access under any circumstances.’

I drew in a ragged breath. ‘Monroe thinks he’s protecting everyone by doing this.. Instead, while we’re out here twiddling our thumbs, someone else could be dying.’

Anna was a great deal calmer than I was. ‘Lizzy’s not human. Neither is Julie. We can go back to the south and get one of them. They can speak to Maggie for us.’

‘No.’ I folded my arms. ‘It’ll take too long. Our killer therapist is already escalating. We can’t afford to waste any more time.’

The werewolves appeared unperturbed. ‘You should leave this place,’ the second one said.

I hissed under my breath and spun away, but I wasn’t leaving. Not until I’d spoken to Maggie. Magic prickled under my skin. If that was what it was going to take, then so be it.

‘Charley.’ Anna sounded nervous.

‘Don’t worry,’ I told her. ‘Everything will be fine.’ I turned slowly to face the werewolves again. Just beyond them, hovering in the lowlight of the oncoming dusk, was Theo. There was a smirk on his face, suggesting he knew exactly what I was planning. If he got in my way, he’d suffer the consequences as well.

‘Charley,’ Anna persisted. ‘Two wrongs don’t make a right. I really don’t think this is a good idea.’

For the first time, the wolves appeared less than confident. Good.

‘I’m not really human,’ I called out to them. ‘Not any more. None of us are.’ I gazed down at my fingers and wiggled them. ‘Magic can be used for good,’ I said, ‘or for absolute evil. And sometimes for what lies in between.’ I flicked my wrists, spiralling out two gentle plumes of smoky-green magic.

The first wolf ducked, hoping the barricade would save her. The second wolf faced it head on, his teeth bared. He started to shift but he was no Monroe. By the time he’d sprouted fur, the magic had reached him and was swirling round his body and binding him tight. There was a choked cry from the other barricade and I knew the same was happening to his colleague. Huh. It wasn’t exactly what I was going for, but it worked all the same.

‘You can stay out here if you want,’ I said to Anna.

‘I can’t,’ she muttered. ‘I have to stay with you, if only to save you from yourself.’

I considered her words. ‘I’m not the one being obstructive here,’ I pointed out.

‘If you say so,’ she replied. ‘How would you feel if someone did that to any of our people?’

Hmmm. I ignored the guilty stab and offered a blithe shrug. ‘You reap what you sow. I’m not the one who separated our communities, and I’m not the one who’s causing problems now.’

‘That’s a matter of perspective,’ Theo said from the opposite side of the barrier.

I looked at him. ‘Do you want to try and stop me too?’ I asked. ‘Because I’m hunting down a killer so I have no qualms about wrapping you up like a Christmas present, just like them.’

He smiled. ‘I’m fine as I am, thank you.’ He glanced at the two fallen werewolves. ‘But you know what I will do?’ he said softly. ‘I’ll stand here and keep guard for the wolves while they’re incapacitated. After all, we all live in this community and there is a killer on the loose.’

I watched him. He might have been amused by the situation but there wasn’t a trace of guile in his expression. ‘You’re a good man,’ I said finally.

‘Remember to tell Monroe and Julian that when all this is over,’ he murmured.

‘Done,’ I promised.

I paid scant attention to the furious glares emanating from the magically trussed-up wolves. That’s what you got when you messed with the enchantress.

Anna and I scooted past the barricade. I avoided the temptation to stroll down the street as if I were starring in an old Western film and made the sensible decision to stick to the shadows along the edge of the buildings. It wasn’t worth garnering unwanted attention if we could help it. We trotted past the makeshift shops and the scattered bars, including the Blood and Bones, and headed across the square. I hoped that Maggie was still being kept there, or there might be problems.

Tripping up the steps and pushing open the door, I pulled back my shoulders and acted for all the world like I was supposed to be there. I had permission; I was allowed. There were a few people scattered around but none of them paid Anna or me any attention. In fact, we made it all the way to the room where Maggie was being kept before we were challenged.

‘I’ve got this,’ Anna said to me when a pair of green eyes narrowed in our direction and Felicity, the unyielding werewolf, started forward. ‘Besides,’ she added, ‘I can’t let