Savage Magic by Judy Teel Read Free Book Online

ignited between his shoulder blades and through his chest, casting a sickly glow around him.  
    "It's not the right color," I said, panic shooting up from my gut and wrapping around my throat. "It's supposed to be white." I glanced at Rosalind. "Why isn't it white?"
    Apprehension hovered beneath the determination in her eyes. "It'll be over soon, one way or the other," she said, moving to stand in front of Cooper's cell.  
    Knox lifted his head and his gaze met mine, pleading, frightened, and then a rough cry tore from his throat as the light expanded, dissolving his clothing as it went. His hands curled into fists and then melted into stumps of murky light as his body became a shapeless mass, writhing and pulsing.  
    Long, painful seconds passed in that half-formed state and I held my breath, afraid for him and the horrible death ahead if his body couldn't restructure correctly. Finally, there was a dull pop of sound and the yellow light disappeared, leaving a gray wolf in the middle of the cell. Knox gave a confused whine and collapsed to the floor.
    From his cot, Danny smirked at us. "Congratulations," he drawled as he picked through the food in his rations box. "Now you're all off the hook."  

CHAPTER THREE

    Rosalind let Sharon out of her cell but still refused to release Cooper, which kept her at the top of my enemy list with no amnesty in sight. I hated leaving him in there next to that bastard, Danny. But Miller assured me we didn't have a choice at the moment, and that the more trouble I made, the harder it would be to get any kind of reprieve for him.  
    His reasoning was sound, so I reluctantly trailed after Rosalind and the others, impressed as hell at how Miller kept his dignity when the female Were picked him up and carried him out of the underground maze, and then up the steep stone steps of the fortress to the second tier where she said we'd be staying.
    The furnished apartment she assigned to us was a roomy two bedroom, two bath unit with a sizable kitchen and a standard living room area. There was a stocked bookcase, but no radio or TV, which didn't surprise me. Hard to get reception in the middle of a mountain.
    I left Miller with Dr. Barrett, wanting to be alone until I could process the shock of what had happened to Knox. If what he'd just gone through was happening in all the Clans, then I understood where their extreme precautions and hyper diligence were coming from. To lose control during your shift was dangerous, if not deadly, and all Weres feared it.
    I found Noah in the hall, sitting across from the apartment, and was struck again by how familiar he looked, though I had no idea why. Whatever. It would come to me.  
    Walking past him, I headed in what I hoped was the direction of the breezeway. He got up and followed me. "I don't need a babysitter," I said, not looking at him.
    "I tried to tell the Captain you wouldn't like it."
    I glanced at him then. He looked as put out about his current assignment as I felt. He didn't deserve to have my bad mood taken out on him. "How about something to eat. Got any suggestions?"
    As expected, the idea of food caught his attention, but his moment of perking up dove quickly into disappointment. "The dining hall's not open for two more hours."
    "It's called pilfering, kid." I started down the hall again at a brisk pace. "All respectable teenagers rely on it for survival."  
    With only a few hints from Noah, I found my way to the second tier breezeway and from the bottom of the stone stairs it was a straight shot to the row of buildings on the left, which he claimed housed the kitchen.  
    We passed the training ring where a few Weres of both genders practiced hand-to-hand combat while another group spared with swords. The guy that had helped capture us was with them and as we passed, his friends nudged him and they all stopped to stare at us. Like I cared.
    The day was clear, the air drenched with the crisp bite of autumn, and I pulled in a deep,