She raises her hands, and I know this is it. I’m going to die here on the floor of the Great Hall in front of everyone. In front of Drake, Lucien, Soren, and Ash. In front of the entire school. I think of Hank, my little frog familiar, waiting in my room. Who will take care of him if he even lives? I think of Drakedisappearing. I think of all the things I wanted to do, all the things I never got to say.
I close my eyes. If this is it, I don’t want my last sight to be Jasmine’s face.
The final blow doesn’t come.
Instead, there’s a loud bang as the doors of the Great Hall slam open. A blast of wind whips through the room, extinguishing half the candles.
My eyes open just in time to see a familiar figure stride into the hall, flanked by a dozen witches. Even with my blurred vision, I’d recognize that ramrod-straight posture anywhere. Could it be?
Victoria Wickersly.
Jasmine freezes, her spell forgotten as she turns toward the new arrival. “Sister. I thought you were dead.”
“Clearly.” Victoria’s voice is cold and clipped as she continues forward, Galanthis the cat padding silently at her heels. “Your capacity for wishful thinking has always been remarkable, Jasmine.”
I struggle to my feet, using the moment of distraction to try and gather my strength. Victoria’s eyes go to me briefly, a nearly imperceptible nod letting me know she sees me.
Jasmine cackles, the sound bouncing off the vaulted ceiling. “Look who’s back!” She glances at the witches behind Victoria. “And you’ve brought friends. How nice. More for me to eat.”
“They’re not my friends,” Victoria says calmly, taking another step forward. “They’re your replacement.”
“My what?”
“I believe the term is ‘coup d’état.’” Victoria gestures to the witches. “Meet the new Lunar Coven. Blood and Crescent merged under my leadership. They’ve sworn allegiance to me while you’ve been busy being exactly what father locked you away for.”
I see uncertainty cross Jasmine’s face. Her eyes dart around, perhaps counting the witches behind Victoria, perhaps realizing that her support was limited to Ollie and a few coven members who were terrified of her.
I use her moment of doubt to send healing magic through my own body. It’s not much, just enough to stop the bleeding and heal my ribs, but I feel my strength returning, bit by bit.
“You see, Jasmine, while you’ve been indulging yourself, I’ve been building alliances.” Victoria takes another step forward. “I’ve been planning. And now I’m back to reclaim what’s mine.”
“Nothing is yours!” Jasmine screams, spittle flying from her lips. “I killed Helena! I took what should have been mine all along!”
“And that is precisely why you must be stopped. You lack restraint. Control. The basic dignity required to lead.”
“I don’t need your approval.” Jasmine gathers her magic again, but I can see the tremors in her hands have worsened. “I never did.”
“No,” Victoria agrees. “You only ever wanted Father’s. But he was the first one to know you were truly a monster.”
Jasmine flinches.
Then she attacks.
The crowd scatters to the edges of the room as dark, tainted magic ricochets off the walls. I see Drake and the others finally break through whatever barrier was holding them back, but they’re forced to dodge Jasmine’s out of control magic.
“You never understood the responsibility that comes with power,” Victoria calls out. “Father knew it. That’s why he never entrusted the coven to you.”
“Shut up!” Jasmine shrieks. “You don’t know anything!”
“I know he called you his greatest failure.” Victoria’s voice is merciless. “His shame.”
“STOP IT!” Jasmine clutches at her head, her magic faltering as Victoria’s words hit their mark.
“He never loved you, Jasmine. He saw what you were becoming. An abomination.”
Jasmine’s scream is inhuman now, a sound of pure anguish that makes the chandeliers above us rattle. “He did love me! He did!”
“Then why did he lock you away?” Victoria’s voice is softer now. “Why did he tell me to make sure you never saw the light of day again?”
