by Linsey Hall
This was light.
This was good.
Use it.
Holy crap. That was an inner voice. Just like the one that Ana and Bree had said had appeared to them when they’d gotten their Dragon God powers.
Was I getting a new power?
As the witches rolled toward me on their waves, I tried creating one of my own. The magic was sluggish at first, slow and difficult to use. But eventually it swelled inside me.
Get me away!
The water followed my command, surging around me and dragging me away from the witches. It took me to shore, washing me up on the beach where my friends fought a bloody battle against the demons. All around, magic flew. Shouts and screams, swords and knives. But I only had eyes for the witches who were moving ever closer.
Though Bree and Ana charged them, they couldn’t get past the force field.
I scrambled upright on the beach, catching sight of Caro throwing her deadly jets of water at different demons. The liquid plowed right through their bodies, coming out on the other side tinged with pink. Maximus fought behind her, tearing off heads and dodging the spray of blood. Cade fought as a giant wolf, while Lachlan rampaged in his black lion form. Ali and Haris possessed the demons, making them fight one another.
I turned back to the witches, who were nearly to me.
“Kill them!” shrieked one, directing her attention at the demons.
Holy fates. The demons weren’t the bosses. The monsters were. We’d had it wrong all along.
My mind raced. How was I going to fight that force field?
The witches raised their arms in unison, and the ocean around them began to bubble. It rose up, forming a tidal wave.
An idea sparked.
Fight fire with fire. Or water, in this case.
But I wanted higher ground, away from the demons who could chop my head off while I was distracted.
Up here!
Romeo’s voice dragged my attention upward. He stood on a long flight of stone stairs that led up to the steep mountainside. Poppy and Eloise stood at his side.
I sprinted up, following him, until I was out of range of the demons.
The witches’ wave was huge now, aiming right for the beach and my friends. My sisters had joined the battle there.
I sucked in a breath and focused on the strange new magic inside me. It glowed brightly, feeling like a breath of fresh air compared to the darkness that had lurked there for so long. This was so much better.
The magic filled me, seeping through my veins and muscles. I could feel the ocean surging like a living thing, and I focused on it, calling it up and trying to make it mine.
At first, it resisted. The witches had too much control. I could feel their magic in the water—dark and oily, like dirty fingerprints.
I forced my magic through, imagining it as a light that spread through the water and drove out their darkness.
The witches’ tidal wave began to shrink.
They shrieked, their hair floating on the air like they were electrified. In unison, they flung their arms forward.
The wave crashed onto the beach. It bowled my friends over, taking out the demons as well. They scattered on the beach, struggling to their feet. I’d mitigated the damage enough so the wave hadn’t been big enough to kill, but more of those waves could do some serious damage.
Romeo patted my leg. Beat them at their own game.
“That’s what I was thinking.” I called on the magic, letting it rise inside me and fill me up.
Then I hurled it outward, forcing it into the ocean until I had control of a huge swath of it. I commanded it to rise up, and it did, a massive pillar that formed behind the witches.
It crashed down on them, driving them under the ocean’s surface.
Victory surged in my chest.
I had magic!
Good magic. Pure and clean and powerful.
But the witches wouldn’t be down for long. They’d rise again, as they had before. So I called on the water again. It surged tall, ready for them.
By the time the two figures rose out of the sea, there was a four-story building made of water behind them. It slammed down onto them again, driving them back under.
I tried again, calling on more water, ready to smash into the witches until they were no more. But it was harder now. I’d used so much energy already.
I didn’t have enough left.
Fear made my skin chill.
When the witches rose up this time, they flew right into the sky, rising up with their toes pointed toward the ground. It was creepy as hell. They threw out their hands, and an explosion of air whooshed from them, slamming me back into the rocks.
Pain flared in my back. Through bleary eyes, I saw the witches disappear into thin air.
They were gone.
“Rowan!” Bree cried. “Are you all right?”
Aching, I scrambled upright on the stone stairs. I looked down at the beach.
The fight was over. Demons lay scattered everywhere, and a few were swimming out to sea to get away from my friends. The witches were gone.
“I’m fine!” I climbed down the stairs. The two cuts on my leg ached like hell. I’d forgotten them in the rush of battle.
I pushed through the pain, wanting to catch one of the demons to ask them about my crazy magic. There was one racing toward the water, and I picked up speed, my lungs burning as I ran to catch him.
When he was ankle deep in the surf, I leapt on him. We crashed into the water, and it splashed up around us. Desperation fueled me, and I yanked at him until he turned over to face me. I straddled him, grabbing his collar and shaking.
“Do you see the dark magic in me?” I demanded.
He coughed and sputtered, his eyes wide. “What?”
“Do you see the dark magic?” I hissed, keeping my voice low. The other demon had seen it easily.
He squinted, then his eyes widened. “Yes. But it’s deep inside.”
Good. That meant I was repressing it. I could physically feel the difference, but I liked confirmation. “Where is it from? Is it demon magic?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know! It feels a bit old. You’ve had it a few years, at least. I think?”
He was confused and stressed, but the answers made sense. A few years would put it at my time with the Rebel Gods. Around the time they gave me some of their magic so I could do their evil deeds. As I’d feared, it wasn’t gone. I’d suspected all of this, and now it was confirmed.
But I was controlling it. By stopping the beasts from feedings, I now had it under control.
“Can I get rid of it?”
“Maybe?” He grimaced. “That’s above my paygrade, lady.”
He was right. He was just a regular demon, and this was from the Rebel Gods—dark magic practitioners who were far more powerful than him.
“How am I connected to the witches?”
“I don’t know!”
I believed him. He wouldn’t know, but I would have to figure it out. And I could. I could do anything I had to. Surviving the Rebel Gods had taught me that. I sucked in a ragged breath, focusing on the good. Then I drew my mother’s dagger and stabbed the demon in the heart, sending him back to his underworld.
Aching, I stood. The surf flowed around me as I staggered up the beach. My gaze fell on Maximus, who stood covered in blood. Apparently the battle had gotten fierce enough that he hadn’t had time to dodge all of the sticky red stuff. His gaze darted to mine, concern dissipating as he saw that I was standing. Everyone else looked alive, though there were definitely some ugly wounds.
Bree and Ana landed next to me on the beach, Ana shifting back to human just as she landed.
“We did it,” Ana said. “They can’t feed anymore.”
“Do you feel better?” Bree asked.
I nodded. “A lot better.” My gaze moved toward the dark night sky. The sun had fully set and the moon had risen while we fought. “They can’t feed anymore, so they won’t grow strong
er. But I don’t think that’s the last we’ll see of them.”
In fact, I was sure of it.
16
Two days later, I leaned on the bar at the Whisky and Warlock, our favorite pub in the Grassmarket. It was a rabbit warren of a place, full of different rooms and corridors and several bars.
The Protectorate always gathered in a little room at the front, where the beamed ceiling was low and the fireplace roaring. The gleaming wooden bar was usually manned by Sophie, and tonight was no exception.
She wore a T-shirt that said Haggis or bust and grinned at me as she asked, “What’ll it be?”
“The usual for Ana, with a Pink Pumpkin for Bree.” We came here a few nights a week usually, and she was used to our order. Ana always got pink champagne—the cheaper the better, as far as she was concerned—and Bree got whatever the cocktail of the day was. Better if it was pink with a funny name. For such badasses, my sisters sure drank girly drinks. But then, the toughest folks I knew were usually girls, so that was hardly an insult. “What’s new on tap?”
Sophie leaned back and inspected the beer taps.
For myself, I was into trying different beers—the weirder the better. I’d had a Pink Peppercorn Saison once that was very good, and a banana nut stout. Maybe it was because I’d missed out on so much when I was in captivity, but it was fun.
“How about a honey Kolsch?” Her eyes met mine. “It’s from Germany.”
“Fantastic.”
As Sophie filled our order, I leaned back on the bar and surveyed the scene. As usual, Lavender, Angus, and my other classmates were there. They made a point not to look at me. I suppressed a grin. Jealous nitwits.
We’d succeeded—mostly—with the monsters, so Jude had given me a pat on the back. More successes like that and I might actually graduate from the Academy. I couldn’t believe it.
After the fight, we’d searched the old, desecrated church at the top of the mountain. There had been a nest, along with supplies for the demons and a collection of ancient golden jewelry. Greek writing decorated the walls—yet to be translated—and an unfamiliar symbol had been etched into the floor.
We were still trying to get to the bottom of it, but so far, we didn’t know what exactly those witches were or what they wanted. Maybe they were gone forever, though I doubted it.
The big thing was that we’d stopped them from being able to murder, so I was counting it as a victory.
I hadn’t seen Maximus since the fight, and I was itching to, but I didn’t know how to seek him out. Nor did I want to make the first move, because what would I say?
“Drinks are up.” Sophie’s voice came from behind me.
I turned and paid. “Thanks.”
She grinned and took the money. I grabbed the drinks, carefully balancing them on the way back to our little table by the fire. Ana and Bree made grabby hands at me, and I handed them their drinks.
I sat and caught Caro’s eye. She was at another table with Ali, Haris, Jude, and Hedy, and she waved. A bit of warmth spread through me. I was really starting to fit in here.
“Why are you grinning?” Bree asked.
I shrugged. “Until now, without any magic, I felt like such an outsider. Now, I feel a bit better.”
Bree smiled, though she looked a bit sad, too. “I’m glad you feel better now that you’re getting some of your magic, but you always fit here, Rowan. Caro and the rest aren’t acting any different.”
“Yeah, and Lavender’s just as much of a jerk as usual, so that’s the same also.” Ana grinned.
I smiled at them.
“But really,” Bree said. “You proved yourself with your fighting skills and your potions long ago. And you’re cool. You’ve always fit.”
“Well, I feel like I fit a bit better, now.” Her words meant a lot to me, but I couldn’t help it. I felt more complete.
Bree raised her gleaming pink drink. “To Rowan’s Dragon God powers.”
Ana raised hers. “To Rowan suppressing the dark magic.”
I grinned and clinked my glass with theirs. It was still inside me—maybe it would always be—but as long as I had control of it, I would be okay.
“So you have no idea what god gave you power over water?” Ana asked.
“I don’t.”
“It was my first power, too,” Bree said.
“There are so many gods with power over water,” Ana said. “It could be anyone.”
“I’ll just have to hope I get more magic, and it becomes apparent which Pantheon I represent.”
“It’ll be a good one,” Bree said. “They all are.”
“Did you ever figure out who was sending you those secret letters?” Ana asked. “The ones that told you about the murders.”
I nodded, remembering the moment from earlier this morning when I’d learned the secret. Jude had found me in my apartment, working on my potions. “It was Jude. Apparently, she thought I was wasting my talent and had wanted to give me something to focus on. She knew I wanted to feel useful.”
“Jude does seem to know everything,” Ana said.
I just nodded. Honestly, it made me feel special that she’d chosen me. That she’d noticed me.
I liked it. All in all, it’d been a very good day.
I was still thinking about Jude when my gaze was caught by a large figure standing at the door.
Maximus.
I jumped to my feet embarrassingly quickly. “Be right back.”
I strode toward him, and he stepped back into an alcove in the hall. It was dark and quiet and hidden from the rest of the bar.
I followed him in. “Hey.”
“Hi.”
“Where have you been? After the battle, you just disappeared.”
“Had to sort things out with the Order. Report on my progress and things like that.”
I swallowed hard at the mention of the Order, and he seemed to notice.
His voice softened. “I didn’t tell them about you.”
“Good. I’ve got it under control, anyway.”
“But it’s not gone.”
“No. It’s not. I don’t know if it will ever be. It came from my time in captivity. But it’s deep inside me now, no longer causing problems. And with the witches unable to feed, I can control it.”
“It’s only been two days.”
“I can tell. It feels different.” I eyed him, feeling a mixture of attraction and mistrust. He hadn’t turned me in, and I mostly thought he wouldn’t. But still, it was hard not to worry. “Why have you been so nice to me?”
“I like you.” He shrugged. “Pretty simple, really.”
“But…why?”
“You’re tough and smart and inherently good. I can see that.”
“You didn’t think that initially.”
“At first, I didn’t trust you. But then it became clear that you aren’t even close to evil. Not even close. You’re one of the most impressive people I’ve met.”
I blushed, unsure of what to say. So I focused on the most important bits. He’d already said it, but I wanted extra confirmation. “So, you won’t tell the Order about me?”
“I don’t agree with everything they do. They’re too zealous when it comes to imprisoning those who are different. So, no, I won’t tell them. But you have to be careful, Rowan. No one should know what’s inside of you.”
“I know.”
His gaze turned intense. “I mean it. They’ll strike first and ask questions later. The darkness isn’t you, but a lot of people won’t make a distinction. I’ve spent enough time with the Order to realize that.”
“Why do you work for them, then? You don’t need the money.”
“I don’t. I wanted a job where I could do good for the world. And I do that when I work for the Order.”
“You should work for the Protectorate.” I almost slapped a hand over my mouth. Asking him to work for the Protectorate meant asking him to basically live in the same place I did, since nearly all Protectorate members lived a
t the castle. “I mean, they don’t imprison innocent people who happen to be a little weird.”
“They don’t.” He looked thoughtful. “But that’s a consideration for another time. I agreed to do a few jobs for the Order, and I’ll stick by my word on that.”
I nodded, understanding. He was honorable. He wouldn’t just switch it up and leave the Order hanging, even though I thought they were a bunch of bureaucratic jerks, and it wouldn’t be the worst thing.
“But how are you doing?” he asked, his gaze intent on me.
“Fine. You?” It was getting a little awkward now. The attraction was there, but not acknowledged.
I felt it, at least.
Someone passed by behind me, bumping into my back. I stumbled forward, my front pressing against Maximus. He reached up to steady me, his hands gripping me around my waist.
My breath caught in my throat, and I glanced up.
Heat had drifted into his eyes, and he licked his lips.
It was as if a curtain had fallen over us. Heat fogged my mind. All I could feel was his strong hands on my waist and his chest against mine.
Unable to help myself, I leaned up on my toes. He sucked in a ragged breath, clearly debating. Then his head swooped down and his lips pressed to mine.
Desire exploded within me. I threw myself into the kiss. His lips moved skillfully on mine, and my mind buzzed. Every inch of my skin tingled.
Abruptly, he pulled back. “This isn’t the place.”
I blinked.
But no, he was right. My colleagues were everywhere. My sisters. Anyone could walk by.
And had I really just kissed him?
We barely knew each other. I wasn’t even sure how much I liked him, or if I could trust him, no matter what he said.
I stepped away, breaking contact. I had no idea where to look, so I glued my stare over his right shoulder. “Um, I’ll see you around, okay?”
“Yeah. Sounds good.”
I stepped back, and he reached for my arm, then drew his hand back before making contact. “I won’t tell anyone about your dark magic. I mean that, so you don’t have to worry. But you need to keep it a secret. For your own safety.”
