Page 21 of Rogue Witch

Elijah and Jessica.

What are they doing? They can’t enter the circle of light.

“Earth spirit,” I call to the giant, “the two traitors who would destroy your forest intend to attack.”

The creature turns away from the witches, headed in Jessica and Elijah’s direction. Oh, yes, it knows exactly who I’m referring to. Can the forest spirit can kill them? Eudaimon are extremely powerful.

Half a dozen Shadows stream past on my right. Anger whips through me. So, this is Elijah and Jessica’s plan. They attracted The Shadows with the intention of infecting us Fae, and, if the chain broke, infecting the witches, Raith and Ethan.

The eudaimon steps into the forest ahead and to my right, not harming a single tree. The Shadows veer toward the creature. Surely, Shadows have no sway over such an ancient earth spirit? My stomach clenches. The sprites appear and dance in front of me, their pattern instantly recognizable.

“I know,” I half growl, and head toward the field, toward the intense white light that, thankfully, remains strong.

The eudaimon heads deeper into the forest. I discern no sign of Jessica and Elijah, but the Shadows— A force seizes my shoulders and drives me backwards. The backs of my legs strike something and I fall across the trunk of a dead tree. The sprites flit around my head in a disjointed dance. Fingers of iron wrap around my throat.

The eudaimon bellows.

Use magic, a voice urges.

I claw at the fingers around my throat, but my fingers pass through them. I have to break Jessica’s magic. I center power deep in my belly. Energy swirls inside me even as the fingers tighten. I can’t draw breath. Power ripples through my chest, down my arms—

The night goes abruptly dark and the full moon which I hadn’t been able to see through the witches’ white light fills the night sky. I choke back a sob. The Shadows won. They quenched the light. The witches. Raith…Ethan.

Fury rips through me.

“No!” I shout.

My power rushes outward. Kill them. I will kill them.

The bands encircling my throat release. I shove to my feet, choking, but throw out my senses in search of the witch and vampire. I can’t swallow past the pain in my throat. My energy hits a brick wall. I focus on a large figure blocking my path.

Rage blinds me. I charge.

“Blade!”

I collide with a hard body and we crash to the ground. The roar of a growl penetrates the thundering rush of blood in my ears. I pummel punches to a belly hard as steel. I’ll drill a hole through him straight to hell.

“Blade!”

Iron fingers seize my shoulders and yank me backward. I hit the ground so hard the breath rushes from my lungs.

“I’ll kill you, you bloody bastard!” I shout.

A bellow shakes the ground. The eudaimon. Then silence.

“How did you manage to call an eudaimon?”

I jump to my feet breathing hard and stare at the man I was pounding. “Raith?” I swing around and face—yes—Ethan. “Jessica Bailey and Elijah Walker showed up,” I blurt. “I tried to stop them. But the humans….” I search Ethan’s eyes. “I failed.”

“Failed?” Raith says.

“We won,” Ethan says.

I stare. “What?”

“We won,” Raith repeats.

“No more death?” I whisper.