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They ran through the chaos—the noise and the wall of pain that hung over the asylum—the small fae’s legs pumping as if the very devil were on his heels. Up ahead, through the torrent of water that fell, a small shape loomed against the dead gray sky.
The three of them arrived just as Nico and Hannah did. Both the witch and the shifter looked a little worse for wear—clothes ripped, skin covered in thick, dark soot.
“The roof caved in overtop of us just as we were about to leave. Took out at least six bloodsucking demons,” Hannah said breathlessly. “Unfortunately, I was underneath them all.” She cracked a grin and winced as she clutched her side. “Nico saved me.”
“It was nothing,” the shifter said gruffly.
The small fae had no clue who or what surrounded him, but he pointed toward the building. “She’s in there, but it’s charmed against intrusion.”
Rowan snarled and smacked the little man. Hard. His head rocked backward, and he howled in pain, turning wildly, trying to see her.
“You think that will stop me?”
The tone of her voice changed. It was subtle, but the hairs on Azaiel’s neck rose, and he caught the look that sat, however briefly, in Hannah’s eyes. Concern? Surprise?
They started forward, Rowan still in the lead, and she stopped in front of a large structure built into a massive hill. The rain had let up somewhat, the sheets of water now more a gentle fall than the furious deluge they’d experienced earlier.
“Can you see the charm, Hannah?” Rowan asked. “It’s unbelievable.”
Hannah nodded. “Yes, but it looks weird. Like nothing I’ve seen before and it feels . . .”
“I know,” Rowan whispered.
Azaiel glanced at Nico. He could see nothing. The shifter shrugged and watched as the women moved closer.
“It’s been reinforced by fae magick,” Rowan murmured and pointed. “See the double ring that binds it all? It mimics the power, hiding in the shadows, yet it strengthens the charm tenfold. It’s incredible. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Azaiel’s mouth tightened. The fae seemed to be up to their asses in this whole mess, and they rarely interfered in the affairs of others. It raised the question—why?
Chapter 15
“Fae?” Hannah was surprised. “How can we break through a fae spell?”
Rowan’s hand reached out, and sparks shimmered in the air as she came into contact with the wall of energy. Her fingers glowed, a deep crimson color, and cracks spread along the wall—a conduit of energy that infected the entire area. The cracks crystallized, and small bits of the ward shattered, falling to the ground in clumps of dust.
“I can do this.”
“I don’t get it.” Hannah gla
nced at the men, obviously uneasy. “How?”
Rowan exhaled. She shook her head, and whispered, “I don’t know.” The words slipped easily from her lips though the taste left behind wasn’t pleasant.
But really, what was one more lie amidst all the chaos?
Rowan stared up at the massive protective spell. It sparkled and shone like a wet, translucent bubble, one that encompassed the entire hill—very much like a snow globe. Again she reached her hands outward, and an incredible jolt of heat hit her as she connected with its power. It traveled up her forearms, leeching into her cells, sizzling across her flesh, until it settled in her chest. There it pulsed, and she lost her breath for a moment.
Behind her, screams, moans, and shouts of anger filled the air. It was a near-deafening cacophony of noise. She shut everything out, clearing her mind so the canvas was blank, then concentrated as hard as she’d ever done. This was crunch time, and there wasn’t room for mistakes.
The signature in the spell was old—there was weight to it—it felt almost familiar. She pursed her lips. Something about the way the lesions of energy flowed. About the design and pattern. Rowan frowned. It was familiar. She knew this charm. She’d seen it before . . .
“Stand back,” she whispered hoarsely.
Rowan closed her eyes and held her hands aloft, drawing from the center of her own unique power. Energy sizzled along her fingers and sparked ferociously against the charm, sending showers of light into the air. She winced, felt the heat of it on her skin, but held her ground.
Her magick rolled overtop the fae charm, invading, feeding, duplicating, and eventually weakening. She wove intricate patterns, carefully dissecting the fae magick until it wavered. Until it frayed along the edges.
Until the beauty disintegrated and fell away like the tide leaving shore.
