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I frowned. I was missing something. “But the house is empty.”
Octavia slammed the shears down on the table of flowers. Her gaze locked on me, promising a nasty storm. “You have overstayed your welcome, Veronica. It’s time for you and your friends to go.”
I planted my hands on my hips. “I’m not going anywhere without all my friends. That includes Kit and Angela.”
“Hey, Lena,” Kit called out near the trash can. She wiped her arm across her forehead, streaking dirt through her sweat, and pointed at the greenhouse’s front door. “Can you and Ivan bring in a few bags of potting soil? They’re just outside.”
Lena glanced at me warily, her hand gripping her sword’s hilt.
“Your help will speed things up,” Kit added with a forced smile.
I didn’t want Octavia to know that I knew what was going on, kind of, so I nodded at Lena. The sooner we got Kit out from under her mother’s control, the better.
Except the moment Lena and Ivan stepped outside, Octavia flicked her hand. The thick wooden door slammed shut, and a red light flared around the frame.
I could hear Lena and Ivan’s muffled yells on the other side, and the handle jiggled but refused to budge. Flames erupted around the frame through the surrounding glass, but the door held firm, protected by the witch’s magic. Resounding thuds beat against the wood.
I unfurled my fiery wings, wrapping them around my front just as Octavia cast another spell. Her wind magic crashed against my wings, fluttering the flames, but didn’t burst through.
Thane’s scythe flashed as the blade caught the light, and he rushed toward Octavia. A green-tinged spell spiraled toward him, this time coming from Kit.
A ragged gasp tore from my mouth as vine-like tendrils wrapped around my mate’s arms and legs, but he sliced through them with ease. The remnants slid off his black scales, and relief settled over my shoulders.
Oh, thank the gods. He might not have known how to control his new ability yet, but the scales were ready to protect him, regardless.
Drawing on my inner flame, I gathered fire in my hands and threw it at Octavia. She caught the fireball with both hands and squeezed until the flames extinguished.
Well, now I knew she controlled both the air and fire elements.
But could she control all five like Kit could?
I didn’t want to find out.
Sprinklers and drip lines all over the greenhouse sprang to life. Their spouts turned into mini-geysers and pointed in my direction. The bitch was trying to put my fire out while proving she also controlled water.
Good thing my fire didn’t work like that, but I had no problem pretending it did. Maybe I could tire her out. Letting my flames flicker in and out, I drew two knives.
Thane had turned his full attention on Kit, deflecting the spells she cast at him while trying to reason with her.
I pushed them from my mind, trusting that they’d both do their best not to kill each other. Hoping and praying for that, anyway.
As I refocused on Octavia, my flames blazed back to life, engulfing my body in an inferno despite the ongoing streams of water. Whatever she was doing to Kit would end today.
Time to play.
I dashed in fast, jabbing at Octavia with two knives before spinning away from her counterattack. Unlike the rest of us, she didn’t wield a weapon other than magic, and she probably didn’t need to.
Searing pain slashed down my arm as a thorny rose branch swiped at me. I hissed through my teeth and swiped at the plant, severing the stem from the rest of the bush. The plant emitted a shrill scream, and I ducked in alarm.
Despite the sliced stem, the plant didn’t stop coming, and it wasn’t alone.
Plants across the greenhouse advanced, their stems and branches growing longer and sturdier as they reached for Thane and me. The sound of their growth was unnerving, a creaking, popping noise that sent shivers down my back.
Air, fire, water, and now earth. Since there was a good chance she was also controlling Kit through the soul element, then this witch could harness all five, just like her daughter.
It also meant we might be fucked.
The greenhouse’s concrete floor cracked and groaned, splitting in chunks as gnarled, dirt-stained tree roots forced their way through the openings. With each flick of Kit’s wrist, rocks rose from the cracks and hurtled toward Thane. They bounced off his scales with loud pings, and he winced after each hit.
