Blazing Glory by Angelique Voisen Page B

protective
instincts and morals reared their ugly heads. He knew he couldn’t and wouldn’t
let anyone just stupidly run to his death. Besides, his bear had imprinted
Blaze’s smell on some instinctive level. Levi didn’t have the luxury to examine
why his beast did such a thing. Not now, at least.
    Levi was about to
stride out and simply toss Blaze over his shoulder when the pyromancer let
loose a small ball of flame in his direction. Cursing, Levi ducked, and by the
time he recovered, the elevator doors were hissing shut.
    “Wish me luck,
bear,” Blaze said, his back turned toward Levi.
    Levi glimpsed the
horrible monster one last time and cursed the pyromancer again. “Fuck you,
man.” It was a weak curse, though.
    All Levi could do
was slump against the wall in defeat. His thoughts fled back to the sweet scent
surrounding Blaze, and he knew why his bear had taken interest.
    If he wasn’t
mistaken, he’d just let his fated mate die.

Chapter Two
     
    A Few Months Later…
     
    Levi indignantly sniffed at the
overwhelming smell of rotting fish heads and vegetables before checking the
address he hastily scribbled on his arm again. They matched.
    The noses of most shifters and
supernatural beings in Lyon City were particularly sensitive to even the
faintest repugnant scent. Levi had a feeling Havoc situated his office just
above the busy market on purpose.
    He squinted at the warehouse in
front of him and the obscure, neat little sign hanging just above the Skeeter’s Morning Market banner. It read “If you need some
large-scale destruction, call the best magic outfit in the city. Call any
member of Havoc’s Crew.”
    It wasn’t just a boast. The
freelance magic outfit was the best demolition crew in Lyon City, and the only
one comprised entirely of elementalists , wizards who
specialized in working and manipulating one particular element.
    “Paranoid assholes,” Levi muttered.
    He couldn’t blame them really. Toting that much power was always bound to draw unwanted attention
and enemies.
    Inside the warehouse, Levi lugged
his heavy frame past closed stalls and up the flight of stairs at the side of
the building.
    The sign on the office door on the
balcony read Open. Levi pushed his way through, glad for the cool
air-conditioning and the slightly strawberry scent that wafted through the
run-down office.
    “Can I help you?” asked a young
voice behind a desk that read “Heath Bones, Receptionist and Apprentice Aeromancer .”
    Levi ignored him and addressed to
the two muscled, heavily inked and pierced men in impeccable suits talking by
the counter. At first glance, any normal individual would mistake them for
hired thugs, but like Blaze, he knew these men were elementalists just by the amount of ink on their skin.
    “I’m looking for Blaze,” Levi
interrupted rudely and loudly. He had no time to be polite, not when the city
was on the verge of an undead epidemic.
    “Who’s asking?”
    Levi met hostile and unfriendly
amber eyes of the tall, golden-haired man in the chocolate-brown suit. His dark
skin was a striking contrast to the gold markings that wrapped across his neck
and dived beneath his suit. The air around them seemed hot. It wasn’t like the
heat Levi experienced when he was with Blaze in Schneider Tower, but a
different kind of heat, the kind that sparked and sizzled.
    Holy
shit, is that electricity?
    Levi tried to rein in his anger. He
may be a shifter capable of ripping these men to shreds, but these elementalists could roast him without batting an eye.
    “Volt, I’ll handle this.” The other
man pressed a hand over Volt’s muscled shoulder. He had blue and green markings
and a much better disposition. He even held out a hand to Levi, who
distrustfully looked it. The man only lifted one pierced eyebrow but didn’t
comment. “I’m Gale. You must forgive Volt. Blaze is our brother, you see, even
if we’re not related by blood.” Gale smiled and showed him white tooth, making
Levi