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My best friend lowered her hands with a sob.
“Snap out of it, Kit!” I yelled.
Lena marched toward Octavia, gripping her sword in both hands. She chopped at the air shield, her blade clanging against it without success.
“I know what I have to do,” Kit said in a steady voice. As she raised her arms and chanted, glass shards trembled against the concrete floor and rose all around us. Her sad gaze met mine. “It’s the only way to break her hold over me. Find Angela and set her free. She’s in the house.”
Octavia’s head whipped toward her daughter, her eyes widening.
Dozens of glass shards spun their sharpest points toward Kit and sped through the air like bullets. They struck hard, embedding deep within her body in too many places to count. Gasping, she stumbled back from the force and fell to her knees, blood dripping from each wound.
“No!” I bolted through the fire shield to catch my best friend before she collapsed. I held her to me as I knelt, ignoring the sharp jabs of glass. A sob caught in my throat. “Why did you do that? We would have taken her down.”
Her breaths were raspy and wet, and foaming blood spilled from her mouth. Glass must have pierced a lung. Maybe both. “Tell Angie I’ll see her soon.”
She exhaled and went still, her brown eyes staring, her body lifeless.
7
SUNDAY MORNING
Thane
I groaned and rolled onto my side, my hand sliding through something sticky—the greenhouse floor was slick with my blood. I didn’t know why my scales had retracted, but I needed to get that shit figured out. Fast.
At the very least, I was thankful my healing ability had increased since using the dragonstone, and my wounds were already closing.
Those thorns were nasty.
“Katherine?” Octavia’s rising pitch drew my attention.
I hauled myself to my feet using a table’s edge and searched for Veronica. My mate knelt on the ground next to a heap of turned-over plants, tears streaming down her agonized face. She held Kit’s limp form in her arms, rocking her gently.
Blood soaked them both, and my heart leaped into my throat before I realized most of it wasn’t Veronica’s blood. Our bond was strong but filled with soul-crushing grief.
Which meant…
Oh no.
Octavia stumbled toward them with her hand outstretched. Her face was stricken and devoid of color. Lena growled as she stepped in front of the woman, holding the point of her blade at Octavia’s throat until a drop of blood appeared.
“Let me see my daughter,” the witch demanded, though her voice trembled and her gaze remained on Kit.
“Take another step, and the only thing you’ll see is Ognebog’s forge.” Lena’s eyes flashed mercilessly, and she gripped her sword’s hilt with both hands, ready to run the other woman through with the slightest provocation.
“Lena, no,” I said, raising a shaky hand toward her. “The DEA will handle this.”
Her shoulders heaved up and down as she breathed heavily, but she obeyed.
For now.
I pulled out my phone and dialed Adam. After briefly explaining the situation, I asked that he send a team to extract Octavia for breaking Community laws. Controlling another Community member was a grievous offense and would see the witch in iron for decades, if not longer.
Tightening her hold on Kit’s lifeless form, Veronica slipped her other arm under Kit’s knees and stood. She lifted her gaze to Octavia’s. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and a violent storm flashed in her violet irises.
Octavia raised a hand to her quivering lips as she looked at her daughter’s body. “Why would she do this?”
“Because she’d rather die than be your puppet,” Veronica said, her tone harsh and full of venom.
