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After I was able to catch my breath again, I painfully rolled to my side. Raising my weapon, I began to fire. My brothers immediately joined me. We unloaded on them, hoping they couldn’t fight us all off at once, but it was like they were goddamn Superman.
Jigsaw concentrated on the demented siblings. While the two paused and gripped their abdomens, they seemed to shake off Jigsaw’s attempt to eviscerate them. “Motherfucker,” Jigsaw muttered when he realized his abilities had no significant effect on them.
“Who are these fuckers?” Evan muttered as I got to my knees with a grunt.
Stumbling slightly, I rose to my feet and gave it my all, but it was laughingly ineffective. Not even me throwing the hottest flame I could summon at them slowed them down for long. Gasping for breath, I focused, but it took me a moment to gather Belinda’s wicked flames from each cell of my body. As if it ripped my soul out with it, I drove Belinda’s fire back at her and Neville.
The effort left me weak, and I fell to my hands and knees.
Stone made another attempt at manipulating the ground below. The dirt swirled in front of the two fuckers attacking us and seemed to rear back before it nailed them. They flew back as if they’d been hit by a wrecking ball. Before either of them could get to their feet, he literally buried them in the dirt he’d controlled as if it were an extension of himself.
Dust floated in the air, and I coughed as I accidentally breathed it in. The smell of freshly turned earth reminded me of planting season back home. My ears were ringing as if I’d been by the speakers at a rock concert all night.
Stunned, we stood or lay there blinking. An occasional cough or moan sounded out, but all in all, everyone appeared unharmed. Surely, it couldn’t be that easy. I turned to Stone.
“It won’t hold them forever—the earth is repulsed by their flesh. Can’t say I blame it. They are truly vile beings. They aren’t dead, so whatever your girlfriend has planned, she better get to it,” he explained in his deep accented voice. “I’ll do my best to hold them down.”
Turning, I rushed back inside and back to the room where Sloane’s mother was. Color me shocked when I burst in to find a woman who looked much like Sloane but older. Gone was the frail husk of a woman Stone had carried in.
“We weren’t properly introduced. I’m Annette. I can’t thank you enough for your part in this. We better get busy,” she tossed out with a determined gaze as she quickly capped two jars filled with a disgusting-looking sludge. “Sloane!”
Sloane had drying tears on her face, but she appeared resolved as she lifted her chin and gathered the book to her chest. “Let’s go,” she announced before hurrying from the room.
Niara and Annette were close behind. Before they made it into the common area, Annette reached out and stopped her daughter. Sloane looked at her with a questioning tilt of her head.
“Are you sure this is how you want to handle this?” Annette asked as she studied her daughter’s face intently.
“Yes, Mom. This will never end unless I do,” Sloane adamantly insisted before her jaw clenched and she gripped her mother’s hand.
Fuck, despite the intensity of the situation, or maybe because of it, I wanted to kiss the hell out of her. Instead, I tagged behind the trio of women as they sped outside.
“Where are they?” Sloane asked in confusion. All three women gazed around with puzzled expressions.
Stone chuckled, and the ground beneath our feet lightly shook. Not enough to unbalance us, but enough it was noticeable. He pointed at the slight mounds in the earth. “Taking a dirt nap. Unfortunately, it’s not permanent.”
“I need them uncovered,” Sloane announced.
“Ms. Fontenot, I’m not so sure this is a good idea,” Stone warned. I was right there with him.
“I at least need their heads exposed,” she said, eyes wide and tone screaming her exasperation.
“I warned you,” Stone said as his gaze narrowed, his head cocked as he made a motion with his hand. A small opening appeared in the dirt. Coughing ensued and a roar of rage followed. Dirt and grass flew as Belinda exploded out of the ground.
“Shit,” Niara muttered.
“I didn’t figure it would hold her if I allowed an opening,” Stone added. “That’s why I told you it wasn’t a good fucking idea.”
“You have fucked up now,” Belinda spat with hatred and fury in her eyes.
“No,” Sloane calmly told her. “You did that when you hurt my mother—and when you underestimated me.”
Despite Sloane’s admirable lack of fear, I had a bad feeling. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, and every nerve ending fired.
The slightest twitch of the bitch-witch’s fingers was my first warning, and I braced myself as I prepared to act. My instincts rarely let me down, and they were screaming. Sure enough, Belinda swung her arm in an angry arc, and though there was nothing visible, I knew. I dived in front of Sloane.
Though I’d known I would sacrifice everything for her, I foolishly didn’t think it would actually happen. The slam of energy that hit me was enough to stop my fucking heart, and I dropped dead at her feet.
