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Another scream echoes hollowly around me, and I leap to my feet, mumbling, “No fucking way.”
My hands shake as I pull on a pair of black leggings, a sports bra, and a loose-fitting t-shirt. Stuffing my bare feet into my athletic shoes, I rush from the room. Sprinting down the hall, I slow when I approach the guest room Steph and Bernadette are staying in.
The door is open.
Picking up speed as a fresh scream from somewhere deep in the house vibrates over my skin, I rush inside to find the room empty. The beds are rumpled, the sheets strewn like they got up in a hurry. Spinning, I dart back out into the hall and sprint toward the staircase.
My gut is churning with a foreboding that borders on painful as angry shouts meet my ears. I manage to get to the bottom of the stairs without tripping, a feat considering my panicked state, and follow the voices into the foyer.
Some of my tension lessens when I see Steph and Bernadette standing side-by-side with their backs to me. My relief vanishes, though, when I notice the trio of witches standing before them.
Shannon.
Hyacinth.
And Malediction.
I skid to a stop and freeze, watching as Steph and Bernadette cast spell after spell, whipping each one toward the unholy trio. Their efforts are wasted, though, the nearly visible barrier protecting the intruders too strong to penetrate.
I start to move forward, then add my own magic to their efforts, but freeze again as a guttural growling meets my ears.
What in the hell was that? And where is Jesse?
Another scream, this one closer than the others, startles me. It’s accompanied by a deep, animalistic roar, the sounds creating a horrific symphony as the truth trickles through my mind. The witches are attacking.
And they brought werewolves with them.
Fear floods my system as I turn from left to right. I need to find Jesse. I need to know he’s okay. To protect him from the venomous bite of his mortal enemy.
“Eden Walsh.”
I spin toward the sound to see Malediction walking toward me. His barrier holds as Bernadette turns her attentions solely on him, leaving Steph to battle the two women. Bernadette’s magical attacks remain fruitless, though, harmlessly bouncing off the man as he makes his way around her, his eyes focused on me.
My lips move silently as I mentally recite the spell to erect a barrier around myself. I’m trying not to panic, knowing that if I fail, and Malediction gets his hands on me, I’ll be powerless to help my friends.
And Jesse could die under the sharp bite of a werewolf.
Sensing my intent, Malediction bursts into a flurry of motion. Throwing up his hands, he shouts a few words as he runs toward me. I flinch back as he throws his hands forward, but nothing happens. I feel the invisible barrier I created vibrate around me as his magic bounces off it. Malediction roars in anger, his feet swiftly carrying him forward.
He grunts as his body slams into my barrier, then bounces backward. He struggles to remain on his feet, and when he regains his balance without falling, he growls and rushes forward again. My hands lift as the barrier spell spills from my lips once more, and once more, he fails to penetrate the walls I’ve erected.
“How is this possible?” he growls, lifting his hands to throw spell after spell in my direction. “A weak, fledgling witch just coming into her powers should not be able to defend against me.”
All the while, Bernadette is casting spells aimed at his back. His own barrier holds for a few moments as he attacks mine, then something she sends must get through because his back arches and he shouts in pain. Whipping around, he sends magic her way.
I see Bernadette’s eyes widen the moment before she’s struck, and time slows as I watch her fly backward. Horror streaks through me as her body thuds against the floor. As if through a thick fog, I hear Steph scream her aunt’s name.
That one moment of distraction is all Hyacinth and Shannon need. I see them rush toward Steph, hands raised as they shout the words to bring her down, too. Added to the cacophony is a fresh round of growls and yips, the crunch of bone, and screams of pure agony.
My vision narrows to a pinpoint as it all becomes too much to bear. I need to do something. I need to put an end to this before I lose everyone I care about.
“Stop!”
The word explodes out of me before my brain can even process my intent. Everyone in the foyer stumbles away from me like the shout yields a physical blow. A tinnitus-like sound rings in my ears for several seconds, and when it clears, the silence deafens me.
No screams. No growls. No utterance of magical words.
The witches around me all stare with wide, fearful eyes, then turn as one when the tapping of nails on the tile floor approaches from my left. Turning my head slowly, I watch with wide eyes as three large beasts move into the space between me and the others.
