Soul Song: A Witch & Shifter Romance Read online

  “That doesn’t give me a reason too.”

  “Do you know what happens when you hold a secondary soul in your hands?”

  “What? Of course not, I don’t use black magic!”

  The man looked disgusted and Drey simply rolled her eyes before continuing;

  “Then let me tell you. To get a soul to leave a body, whether that is the life giving primary soul or the magic carrying secondary soul, you can either force it as the other mage did-”

  Trent’s lips twitched into the ghost of a grimace, making Drey frown;

  “Or you can bare yourself, show it the same vulnerability that you are asking for.”

  “You’re saying to trust you because our souls talked? Seriously?”

  “Yes!”

  “And how is that supposed to convince me?”

  “I had your soul completely willing in my hands! I opened myself to you more than I have with anyone else! The spirits led me to you and I saved you without hesitation, at least have respect for that!”

  “So let me get this straight, you’re actually telling me to trust you because you trust your ghosts and you didn’t do something bad when you had the chance?”

  “Okay, when you put it that way…”

  Trent’s forehead fell onto Drey’s shoulder as another stupidly attractive, full body laugh puffed hot air along her collarbone, making her flush;

  “Why are you laughing?”

  “Everything that’s happened, this whole situation, it’s ridiculous! I can’t believe I’m listening to the dog in my head and a crazy woman.”

  “I am not crazy.”

  His head lifted to look at her, smiling as their faces hovered only inches apart.

  “You have to admit, what you’ve told me sounds completely insane.”

  Drey would have retorted, but found herself distracted by their proximity, drowning in details like how the hair falling in his face was longer than hers, how his eyes were as green as a forest at midday and when he smiled they lit up like fireworks. She was acutely aware of every place their bodies were touching and how large hands were still holding onto her, but softly, as if tethering her to this moment instead of pinning her down. Trent was searching her face and Drey really hoped he was feeling the same because she was dying the close the minute distance. As if reading her mind, Trent leaned down slowly, as if he was afraid to spook her. Mere centimeters between them now and he paused, their gazes locking charging the air with an almost palpable electrical current that just needed one more point to-

  “What the hell are you doing to my sister?!”

  Her brother’s voice made Drey’s drooping eyelids shoot open and she looked over to the doorway of her room. Sure enough Krys was standing there, gaping at the half naked guy currently on top of his baby sis. Drey smiled sheepishly;

  “Heeey brother.”

  “Don’t ‘heeey brother’ me! Who the hell is that?!”

  Trent sighed like he was familiar with the direction of this conversation, standing and sweeping past the still baffled brother in the hallway to head towards the kitchen. Drey sighed as well, sitting up and glaring at Krys;

  “He is none of your business.”

  “Is that what you were doing last night?! You weren’t following the spirits at all!”

  “How could you say that? Of course I was! They just...led me in a direction I wasn’t expecting.”

  “Are you telling me you met this guy in Central park in the middle of the night, and your solution is to bring him home and bang him?”

  “We didn’t bang!”

  “Sure looks like you were getting there!”

  “You know what-”

  A loud crash interrupted Drey, followed by a boom that shook the house.

  Chapter 4: Home Invasion

  Drey and Krys looked at each other before dashing downstairs, they had both felt the magical use within their barriers. Just as Drey came dashing around the corner, Trent tackled her, sending them both sliding across hardwood as a magical orb exploded where Drey’s face had been seconds before. Trent kicked his leg out and tripped Krys for the same effect, though he never took his eyes off of her;

  “I feel like we’ve been in this situation before.”

  He teased with a wink and she rolled her eyes even as Krys piped up from behind the counter he was using as cover;

  “Can you save the flirting for later and tell the person out of the loop who the fuck is destroying my kitchen?”

  Trent rolled his eyes, but complied after making sure no more projectiles were headed their way, dragging Drey into cover alongside her brother.

  “Well those men may or may not be with my Order and they may or may not be trying to kill us.”

  “What the hell did you drag my sister into?!”

  “Hey she drug herself into it when she knocked out the second in command and went fishing for souls.”

  Krys instantly turned on Drey, outrage and just a tiny bit of pride on his face;

  “Andreya!”

  “What, are you saying I should have ignored the spirits and let him die?”

  “No, I’m just-”

  Another burst of energy exploding near them cut him off and Trent looked between the siblings exasperatedly;

  “So can we focus on the people trying to kill us now? I’m still not completely fixed from the whole soul surgery thing, so do one of ya’ll wanna..?”

  “Oh right, sorry”

  Drey grinned sheepishly before tucking herself next to the werewolf, feeling him instantly stiffen even as she sternly instructed him;

  “Don’t let me get hit, alright?”

  Trent cocked his eyebrow as if to say, ‘Have I yet?’ but Drey didn’t look back, closing her eyes and giving her offer and praise to the elementals before requesting assistance. Wind began to blow in gusts throughout the house, throwing open windows and sending small objects flying. She stood from behind their hiding spot, relying on the boys to keep her out of harm's way as she focused on the strangers in her living room. Three men and a woman, all stock still from shock before recovering and throwing more energy attacks. Drey smirked, extending a hand as gale force winds slammed the two closest to her through the front window. She turned to the other two, the boys blocking the attacks they sent (Krys with magic, Trent with a frying pan) as she flicked her wrist, throwing them through the same broken window and into oncoming traffic.

  Drey released the elemental that had aided them, sagging and just barely being caught before hitting the floor. She could hear the boys talking, unsure who carried her back to her room and tucking her in with a grateful, but worried snuffling noise (Trent then).

  Chapter 5: Song of Souls

  When she came downstairs a couple hours later she found that the mess she must have made was picked up and the window had been covered. After a brief search, she found Krys and Trent in the back yard sitting in patio chairs while they conversed in low tones. She backed pedaled before they noticed her, choosing to go into the kitchen make food instead of disturb their conversation.

  The fridge was in a sorry state of empty, cupboards even more so. Delivery it is then. She opened the drawer with their take out menus just as the doorbell rang out. She frowned as Krys came jogging through with a grin and a wink;

  “Man I called this like an hour ago. I got you down sis.”

  He went to the front to deal with whatever he had ordered while Trent finally came inside, standing next to her with an oddly contemplative look. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Krys rounded the corner with fresh pizza. There was silence then while they ate, Drey finding all of the magic usage had made her absolutely ravenous. Trent apparently felt the same way and they had an amicable contest of their slice count until Drey had to admit defeat after 5 slices, with Trent still going strong.

  They must have been staring at each other again after the meal, because Krys finally rolled his eyes, exclaiming loudly;

  “Well I’m going somewhere else, because I know when I
am not wanted. But we are still going to talk about this, Drey.”

  Drey scoffed, but didn’t argue as Krys gave a lazy salute before walking out the front door, leaving her and Trent alone once more. They looked at each other, than away, neither saying a word for a solid 10 minutes before Trent finally spoke up;

  “So Krys told me about the soul transfer thing.”

  “He did?”

  “Ya, apparently he was worried that whatever we are doing was just because of that.”

  “Oh, so he…?”

  “Ya he went into detail about the risks and...what happens to two souls exposed for that long.”

  “Do you really think that’s what this is?”

  Drey looked over at the man leaning on the counter next to her, jumping onto the surface to give them more of an equal footing. Trent turned, now standing in front of her and so close it made her physically ache;

  “No I don’t.”

  “Good, because this would have been really awkward otherwise.”

  Without another word Drey pulled Trent down, connecting their lips with a contented sigh. The reciprocation was instantaneous and aggressive with a sweet edge that made the ache in Drey’s chest burst into full blown longing. He pressed closer to her, hands sliding up her thighs to pull her flush against him. A gasp escaped her at the movement and she felt Trent’s grin against her lips before his hands slid underneath her, squeezing her butt with a smirk as he lifted her off the counter. Drey yelped indignantly, forced to wrap herself around him like an octopus as he carried her to the bedroom. She kissed along the strong lines of Trent’s jaw, dragging her teeth over his pulse point and pulling a guttural moan from him before she was dropped, unceremoniously, onto the bed.

  Trent was on top of her in a second, stealing her breath before she could catch it as large hands slid under her shirt to rest over her bra. The noise she made as he unhooked it was trapped in his mouth, though he grinned and squeezed the sensitive mounds to the soundtrack of her pleased hums. Her shirt was soon gone, leaving them both topless, and the feeling of their bare chests pressed together made them both moan.

  Her shorts were then gone, kisses being pressed in searing brands down her body before his mouth was on her sex and she arched, sounds spilling from her unbidden before he crawled back up and stole her soul with a kiss. She unbuttoned his jeans, pushing them down his hips to reveal his manhood, pulsing with need. Trent pulled back just enough to shuck off his pants before descending upon her once more, rubbing the length of him against her. Drey gripped his shoulders, hands sliding up to bury themselves in brown locks as they rocked together. A particularly wonderful movement slid him close to where she wanted him and Drey groaned, wrapping her legs around his hips to encourage him to get on with it already.

  Trent chuckled breathlessly, but complied, lining up before pressing himself inside her. Drey’s head fell back against the pillows as he slowly filled her, hips stuttering as he gave her a moment to adjust before moving in earnest. Their bodies came together, a quick ebb and flow that was showing as stars in Drey’s vision, at least she thought it was just her until she felt the mixing of their magics, watching as the distinctly different colored swirls danced together in blue and white fireworks like explosions. The dance above them increased as their pace did, the magic only enhancing their pleasure until they collapsed together, sated and satisfied.

  Drey was playing with tousled brown hair as she dozed, feeling strong arms tighten around her minutely as she ran her fingers through long hair. There was a puff of hot air across her collarbone as Trent snorted, rolling off to lay next to her and covering his face with his hands. They still touched as the mage’s delirious giggling filled the room, with hips pressed together and Drey’s shoulder notched under his arm; but that couldn't be helped, her bed was pitifully small for them both. Drey waited until the man had quieted before her tetchy tone snapped in the air;

  “Why is this so funny to you?”

  “I just realized...I don’t know your last name.”

  Another giggle;

  “I don’t know anything about you except that your ghosts told you to help me and-”

  Drey sat up, placing a finger on his lips to silence him as she leant close and kissed him firmly;

  “Spirits, not ghosts.”

  “Fine, but-”

  Another kiss;

  “They brought us together for a reason. You may not trust them, but trust this.”

  She intertwined their fingers, smiling softly;

  “The rest will come with time.”

  Chapter 6: The Enemy

  It was the next day, after Krys had returned red faced and grumbling about TMI, that Trent opened up about their new enemy. He had slipped out in the wee hours, only to come back with fresh clothes, a duffel presumably full of the same and a multitude of rolled documents. A leather satchel hung at his side. Drey merely watched curiously as he laid out star charts and maps of the city, enthralled as the mage pulled crystals from the duffel and set them at specific points along the edge. Krys finally interrupted, talking around a mouth full of captain crunch;

  “So do you want to explain what you are setting up on our kitchen floor? While you’re at it, do you mind explaining what you pulled my twin into?”

  “Krystoff, for the last time-”

  “He’s right.”

  Drey looked over sharply as the werewolf rose from where he had been kneeling over outlines, the fluidity in the motion tracked by interested azure eyes; the owner of the mirroring pair wrinkled his nose in disgust and rolled his eyes.

  “I owe you both an explanation, so might as well give it now.”

  Trent leaned across from the twins seated at the island counter, silent as he searched for the words to begin.

  “When I first came to New York I was 16, freshly emancipated with no idea why I could do the things I did. I was just a dumb kid from the Midwest using what gift came naturally to scam tourists on the street when I first met Damien. I noticed him watching me, the same time every afternoon, and after a week he took me to meet the Order. It was a first for me, having someone else see the things I did and believe in my gift. I was brought directly to the Sebastien, the head of the Order, and found myself belonging to something, another first.”

  Trent’s smiled wistfully as he stared at something far away;

  “Damien and I were separated from the others, learning from Sebastien directly, and over the years we became best friends. We learned together, bunked together, went on missions together. My new family was my whole world. But then I started to notice the secret summonsing with just Damien and the master, the ones that would make the air heavy with the tang of metal. The nights that those two would disappear were only followed by reports of murders in the city where the bodies were completely disemboweled. Then more and members would disappear on those nights, but I didn’t want it to be true, so I just ignored it. But I found items for enchantments we shouldn’t have had and stumbled upon spell books meant for blood magic hidden away in Damien’s trunk, but I still didn’t confront them. God I can’t believe I was such an idiot, that I could just blindly followed them for years out of my own weakness.”

  His expression turned bitter with guilt eating at his voice, his hands shaking as they balled into fists. Drey reached out hesitantly, covering them with her own. Trent looked at her like he had forgotten she was in the room, fists unclenching, but remaining where they were;

  “One night I followed them, determined to prove to myself that my fears were unwarranted. Imagine my confusion when they met up a known werewolf pack, when my family all stood to the side as an entire household was slaughtered. Then I was forced to watch each member of my former order cut open the bodies, digging around inside of corpses for organs needed for rituals of immortality and power, the kind that almost never work but they didn’t seem to care. I was found after Damien gutted the infant, my retching giving me away even through the glamour I wore.”

  Krys was green, c
hair pushed back like he might run to the trash can at any moment, but Drey’s face was harder to read, her clenched jaw the only thing giving away her anger at his words;

  “Needless to say, Sebastien sicced one of his hounds on me and I honestly don’t remember much until I woke up in the city morgue. I don’t know how I survived the attack, let alone the bite. Up until the other day they hadn’t known I was still alive but then Damien found me and, well, you know the rest.”

  There was silence for a beat before Krys cleared his throat;

  “So what are you going to do about it then?”

  “Krys!”

  “What, Drey? The man obviously has a plan since we could open a supply shop with the amount of magical items in our living room.”

  “I’ll show you.”

  Drey continued to glare at her brother even as they both followed Trent over to the map of the city, watching as he adjusted the crystals holding it to the floor before pulling a pendant from around his neck. He pressed it to his lips, whispering some enchantment that made Drey’s skin tingle as magic lanced through the air. Swinging in even arcs across the map face, Trent continued the spell until the necklace was yanked from his hand to land somewhere in Manhattan. The mage’s face was grim, but determined as he explained;