Esmerelda: A Rogue Enforcers Novel by Darlene Tallman (phonics books TXT) 📕

but he’s in bad shape.” I could sense Leigh’s distress and tapped into her briefly, getting a visual of Ice, slumped over despite being chained to a wall. “He’s shackled against a wall, looks almost haggard, covered in more sweat than is healthy,” I impart, looking up at him. The fear that briefly crosses his face makes me clutch his arm. “We’ll help him once we have them both safe. I promise you this, my mate.”

“I know you will, sweetheart.” He leans in and kisses me, and I can feel my face flush. Could be the heat, could be a rise in passion but based on the seriousness of our mission, I’m leaning toward the former.

Beast

I’m grateful she placed a cooling spell on me; that first slap in the face from the heat and humidity had my bear growling and miserable. I cannot imagine how Ice has been seeing as he’s been here for days, not mere minutes.

“Alright, let’s load up,” Maverick calls out. I take Esmerelda’s hand in mine, lacing our fingers together. It finally dawned on me that we draw strength for our abilities from our mating bond, so I want her to get as much from me as possible. I know she and Tabatha will be working together apart from the rest of us; this is the best I can do to help her. We load into the two SUVs and I’m introduced to Caio, our driver.

“Beast, is it? My cousin, Rufus, is at the location where your people are being held,” he says, expertly navigating us away from the private airstrip we landed at before he maneuvers onto a state highway. “He’s communicated that in addition to them, there are a dozen others being kept in captivity. So far, it looks as though they’re all being held, nothing’s really been done to them.”

“We appreciate all your help with this,” I reply.

“When Colton reached out, we were immediately onboard. I’m glad someone is going to stop him; we all deserve the right to live as we want while co-existing with the humans,” he imparts.

After a twenty-minute drive, we pull into an unassuming driveway that eventually opens up to reveal a warehouse-type structure up against the river itself. After he parks, we all get out and head inside, presumably for more last-minute instructions. I’m at the point where I just want to get in, get them out, then go home myself, but I understand that we have to use stealth as well as the element of surprise.

“Come in, come in,” a short man says effusively from the doorway where he’s standing like a proud patriarch. “Guido, get our guests some refreshments, they look parched.” To us, he states, “We are waiting on two of my people to return so we can navigate to where your people are being held.” At our nods, he turns so we follow him inside to a huge room that’s immediately twenty degrees cooler.

In an area that’s obviously their kitchen, the man he called Guido is pulling drinks out of an industrial-sized refrigerator. Even with the cooling spell, I am uncomfortable, not that I’d tell my mate that because I don’t want her to worry. “You’re still hot,” she says, leaning into me. “I can feel it radiating from your skin.”

“It’s okay, Esme.” She shakes her head, negating my words.

“No, it’s not. That means that Ice may be suffering as well. Tabatha?” she calls out, breaking away from me to go over to the other witch. I watch them confer then move away from all of us. Once again, they clasp hands while the rest of us watch sparks flying around them. I feel a sense of peace slip over me then realize that they’ve begun the masking spell.

“They hold great power,” Caio states, coming up next to me to hand me a cold drink.

“Thank you,” I reply, breaking the seal only to gulp half the bottle down. Parched doesn’t begin to cover how I’m feeling.

“They know that they’re facing some dark magic, right?” Caio asks, his eyes never leaving the two women.

“My mate felt that which is why Tabatha is with us,” I say.

“We have a shaman who can help your witches,” he offers. “If they’d like, that is.”

The man who greeted us at the door comes walking over, holding out his hand. “I’m Rufus. I have called on Gara to assist your women. She has experience with what they’re facing.”

“We’ll take all the help we can get,” Maverick asserts, moving to stand next to me. The room is ablaze in magic, I can feel it pulsating within, so I know the others are similarly affected. “Damn, I’m glad they’re on our side, aren’t you?” he asks me.

“Fuck yeah,” I murmur. My mate is in her element right now, her sole focus on saving our family. While we’re still learning about each other, she told me early on that her grandmother foretold that she was going to be a caretaker. What she’s doing right now exemplifies that fact. How she cares for everyone back at our compound is another example.

A commotion at the door has us turning to see another small man rush inside. “Rufus, how soon can we return? They are planning to start their experiments in a few hours.”

“We can go now if everyone is ready,” Maverick proclaims. When the man stares at him, he says, “Maverick. That’s my family the fucker has so if we need to go now, we go now.” His voice is growly, and I can see evidence of both of his beings in his eyes as they fight for dominance.

“Lock it down, Mav,” Paxton cautions, putting a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Tell us what you need us to do,” he commands, taking over for Mav, whose emotions have him in their grasp.

“It would be best if you shift once we arrive. They are doing the masking spell?” Rufus asks. “Gara will be here any second.”

“I’m here, King,” a wizened old woman says, moving faster