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Thankfully, that moment comes quickly. Power flutters in my veins, and this time, I’m ready for it. Grabbing hold of as much of it as I can, I will a dagger of starlight in each hand. Before he even has a chance to realise what’s happening, I leap forward and press the blade to his neck. I don’t mean to kill him, too much blood has been spilled today, but he starts to move towards me at the same time, pressing the dagger into his neck. His eyes widen for a split second as he realises what happened, and then he drops to the floor with a horrifying gurgle as blood gushes from the wound.
Feeling sick, I add his life to the list of those I’ve taken.
I don’t have time to process what just transpired as the heavy weight of the magical block lifts. From the gasps and exclamations around the room, I’m guessing that the rest of the witches gained their powers back too. I was right, the dead male at my feet was blocking their magic. So why didn’t it work on me like it did with the others?
In a state of shock, I look up and take in the scene around me. The tables have turned, and magic floods the hall as the witches fight back. What was already a chaotic scene before only increases now that magic is involved. Sarks, flames, and shadows fill the space. A twinge on the bond has my attention snapping back to my mates. Scott is still battling the werewolf who had been hiding by the magic user. I notice a large bite on his shoulder, but he’s not letting it stop him. In fact, I can see his skin knitting together as he fights. Taking a deep breath, I check in with my other mates. They are all alive and okay, slowly trying to make their way over to me as they continue to fight their opponents. I’ve lost sight of Luna, but I’m sure she’s with Kano.
I’m in the far corner of the ballroom, which is slightly shadowed thanks to the large pillars that hold up the roof, so it gives me a brief reprieve as I catch my breath. Magic tingles at my fingertips, and I know I have to re-join the fray. I get a handful of steps towards the centre of the room when a strange feeling settles over me. The hair on my arms stands on end, and a sense of warning twinges in the back of my mind.
It doesn’t take me long to spot what’s causing me to feel on edge. Bates is moving deliberately towards me, fury written across his face. I’ve ruined his plan, and although I shouldn’t wind him up, the thought makes me smile.
“You bitch,” Bates hisses, his every move exuding violence. He doesn’t just want to kill me, he wants to hurt me first. That should fill me with fear or trepidation, but it’s what I’ve come to expect from him. My own rage towards this male which has nothing to do with his vendetta against me, so him hurtling insults at me only fuels my ire.
“You can’t just fucking die like you’re supposed to, can you? No, you’re like a cockroach that keeps coming back.” Snarling, he stops a few meters away from me, tilting his head from one side to the other as if stretching out his neck in preparation for an attack.
The fact that he’s stopped confuses me though. I thought he’d take this opportunity to charge at me while my mates are occupied, yet he seems to be hesitating. That’s when I hear footsteps. Glancing to the side, I find that it’s not the witches running for safety now, but several of the werewolves. They’ve realised they don’t have a chance now that their enemies’ power is restored.
Barking a laugh, I shake my head as I return my gaze to him and take in his furious expression as he slowly backs away. “You don’t seem so confident now that the witches have their magic back. Vulnerability isn’t a nice feeling, is it?”
Matching him step for step, I follow him across the room. The warming presence of two of my mates gives me more confidence, and I don’t need to look to know that Scott and Atlas are at my sides, watching my back as I track my enemy. How times have changed.Batesis retreating fromme. The feeling is a weird one, but it strokes my ego, making me feel strangely powerful. My magic reacts to that feeling, flaring around me in a shower of stars.
“I’m going to make you suffer,” Bates promises, but he doesn’t sound so confident now, especially with the males by my side. “By the time I’m through with you, you’ll be begging for death.”
“You think I’m going to let you leave?”
The words leave my mouth, but it doesn’t sound like me. In fact, I don’t recognise the person who’s speaking.You’re in the middle of a battle, my thoughts remind me.You’re doing what needs to be done. He will only continue to hunt you if you let him go. Acknowledging the truth of it, I continue to stalk Bates. He’s backed himself almost all the way up to the rear wall, the throne and dais on his right.
I briefly note that the queen is still by her throne, watching this exchange with narrowed interest. However, she’s not a threat right now, so I push that piece of information to the back of my mind and continue to focus on Bates. Plans start to formulate on how we’re going to capture him, but before I can do anything further, a cruel grin stretches his lips, chilling me to my core.
“You don’t have a choice,” he coos with a confidence that a male in his position shouldn’t have. Level with the back of the dais, he leans behind it to an area I can’t see thanks to the throne. Thinking that he’s about to try and escape around the back, I prepare to chase after him.
That’s not what happens though. Standing upright, he drags an unconscious form with him. As soon as I spot the shiny black hair, I know instantly who it is.
Luna.
No. No, no, no, no.Panic starts to build, my heart racing and my fingertips tingling with magic. I don’t dare use it, though, in case I hit Luna. The world seems to tilt, crumbling beneath me at the shock of seeing my friend in the arms of a twisted male like Bates. My guilt threatens to take over. If only I had kept a better look out for her when we were fighting, I might have noticed when she was attacked. I just thought she was with Kano. The two of them always gravitate towards each other, so it seemed like a fair assumption.
Atlas stiffens beside me, his own fears for his cousin’s safety echoing through our bond. He takes a half step forward but stops as Bates tightens his hold on Luna’s limp form. “Let her go,” Atlas demands, his jaw clenched tightly.
Bates completely ignores him, not even bothering to look at or acknowledge my witch mate. Holding her closer, he looks down at her with a mocking expression. “She’s a pretty little thing. Shame she’s a filthy witch.” He’s trying to wind us up, hoping we’ll make a mistake. With him holding her like that, his claws slowly sliding between his knuckles, the threat is clear. We can do nothing.
“She’s my insurance policy,” he continues, looking at me with a smug smile. “If you come after me or try to stop me from leaving, then I’ll kill her.”
He thinks he’s won. What he doesn’t know is that there’s no way I’m going to let him take Luna with him. I’m obviously not the only one who thinks this, as a form appears from the shadows of the dais.
No, not one person, but two.
Syn is in his human form now, his hand on Kano’s shoulder as they seem to magically materialise behind Bates. Anyone else looking on might think it was Kano using his magic, but I know better. Syn somehow used his shadows to help hide their approach from Bates. No one else other than myself, Syn, and Ivar have been able to actually see the shadows he seems to be able to control. It appears that he’s finally ready to accept this strange ability he’s been gifted.
As soon as Syn releases Kano’s shoulder, the illusion is shattered, and Bates realises he’s no longer alone. Spinning with a snarl, he presses his claws into Luna’s skin, narrowly missing her vulnerable neck, and instead, slicing across her collarbone.
My chest is tight as I watch with bated breath. How do I help without hurting Luna or getting in the way? Desperate for some way to assist, I watch as Bates slowly side steps towards the main hall entrance. An idea comes to mind, and with a flick of my wrist, a dome of stars settles over us, creating a shield and preventing anyone from entering or leaving.
Kano’s magic comes in bursts of power, smacking into Bates from all angles, attempting to force him to drop Luna’s body to protect himself. Backing away, Bates collides with the edge of the shield with a satisfying sizzle, burning his back from the heat of the stars. Snarling in frustration, he snaps his teeth threateningly, his wolf just beneath his skin, begging to be released.
Scott lingers at my side, waiting for my instructions, and Syn stands at the edge of the shield, ready to step into the fight should Kano need help. This is the sort of situation where too many people will actually hinder the fight and it could end very badly, so we wait with anxious expectation. Atlas remains at my other side, moving his hands in complicated patterns, and I watch as ice begins to appear beneath Bates’ feet. I don’t feel a drain on my power now that the magic block is gone, and I realise that the reason Atlas and Nicolai could still use magic was because they were channelling mine.
Bates uses Luna as a human shield, making it difficult for Kano and Atlas to attack without hurting her. However, it also means that Bates is limited in defending himself and fighting back. It’s clear he was just going to use her to protect himself and leave the hall without consequence, but with my shield surrounding us, he’s stuck.
