by R L Medina
My stomach clenched at the thought. The last thing we needed was ordinaire watching and going into a panic. Or worse sending in news stations and the works. The veil between the supernatural and natural would be torn and the very thing the GRIMM feared would come true.
It was already coming true. The government, who apparently had a division dedicated to overseeing the GRIMM, was also sending in armed forces—humans with weapons.
As if that would be any help against powerful witches and superhuman beings. Even without Cassiano, they were winning.
It wasn’t fair. Angry tears burned my eyes. How could we still be losing?
“We have to get to Jimena. Use the reversal spell on her.” Jesse’s words rang over the noise.
“No one can get close enough to her.” Shiloh shook her head.
“If we can get her through a portal, I think I know of a place where we’ll have the advantage. But we have to get her through alone,” Jesse insisted.
“I can get you close.” Grayson looked to me.
I frowned. “No, Grayson. You can’t cast shadow magic.”
His eyes held mine. “Just let me try. We have to do something.”
“Why is it always us? Why does it always have to be us?” I shook my head.
My gaze snagged on all their tired faces. I glanced ahead as the GRIMM attempted to restore their barriers. Already, our numbers were dwindling as the extraordinaire swarmed our ranks, wreaking havoc. Even with the powerful fae handling the witches and all our magical weapons, we were outnumbered and outmatched.
“I’ll do it. I’d love to strike the killing blow to her.” James spoke up.
Jesse glanced at me. “We need you too. Your affinity for healing will help the spell. And you too, Ash.” She turned to the silent witch.
Ash nodded, determination in her eyes.
“I can only shadow jump one person at a time,” Grayson said.
“Take her. We can help the fae get her shield down. She won’t be able to handle all of our attacks at once,” Brady answered.
“Or just wait until the shield is down so you don’t have to cast, Grayson. Please.” I looked to him.
“We’re wasting time talking about. Let’s go,” Brady snapped.
“Look, they did it. Her shields are down.” Shiloh’s excited tone caught my ear.
We watched as the GRIMM moved forward with renewed effort. The fae and extraordinaire on our side were pushing forward too. Luna Negra witches along with their supernatural soldiers were pushed back.
“They’re retreating.” Shiloh smiled.
“The fae. They witches’ magic isn’t strong enough against theirs.” Jesse nodded.
Relief filled me. Was the battle finally ending then? Could we go home?
“Jimena. She’s getting away.” James pointed in the distance.
He was right. Her coven covered her back as she retreated towards the cliffs. To another hideout? A portal?
“We can’t let her get away.” Jesse turned pleading eyes to me.
24
I met the older witch’s gaze and looked to the others. My eyes landed on Grayson. “Take me to her.”
“You won’t stand a chance against her.” James snorted.
My head snapped toward him. “That’s why I’m counting on the rest of you to have my back. I’ve already survived her before. My quick healing gives me the advantage. I can survive her again.”
“Rose, are you sure?” Grayson’s brow furrowed.
Even Shiloh and Brady looked worried.
“We have to try.”
Grayson nodded and before I could change my mind, he wrapped me in his arms. Wincing as though he was in pain, he chanted. At first nothing happened. But then we were gone.
I blinked, trying to clear my head and orient myself. The roar and noise of the fight was behind me now. Luna Negra witches were around me, backs to me as they held their shield against the GRIMM. I’d made it past her defenses.
“Grayson?” I called.
He wasn’t there. Fear filled me. What happened? What went wrong?
“You?”
I jumped at the sound of the supreme’s surprised voice.
Her hands flew. I tried to bring up my shield, but she was too fast. A wave of power struck me.
The bones in my hands snapped. I screamed.
Pain washed over me. My stomach heaved.
I looked down to find the bones in all my fingers exposed. She hadn’t just broken my hands—she’d destroyed them. Fire engulfed them and the searing pain made me drop to my knees, a scream ripping through me.
Dizziness washed over me. I couldn’t breathe.
The bitch smiled. “Try healing now.”
With that, she turned on her heel.
The smell of my own skin burning made me gag. I tried to block out the pain and think of a spell to stop it. But the pain was too agonizing. I couldn’t think. I could barely breathe.
Darkness swam before me. I closed my eyes and let it take me.
Cold water fell over me. My body jerked in response. I tried to open my eyes, but they didn’t cooperate. Where was I? What was happening?
A shiver racked me. My shaky breathing echoed in my ears.
“Rosita. Listen to me. You can do this. Get up. We need you.”
Rosita. Someone had called me that before. Papi.
“Get up.” The voice persisted. It wasn’t Papi.
I groaned. Get up? I couldn’t even flutter an eyelash without the excruciating pain. A fresh wave of agony hit me at just the thought. My head pounded. When I opened my eyes, I caught a glimpse of one of my broken hands. The fire was gone, but the skin and muscle had been burned and stripped away, exposing bone and blood. So. Much. Blood.
Nausea rolled in my gut.
“I know it hurts. But it’s not over yet. Don’t give up.”
Shut up. Just shut up.
Tears stung my eyes. What was the voice talking about? Of course, it was over. We’d lost. I just wanted the pain to end. Papi’s face filled my mind followed by Mama’s. Or at least what I remembered of it. Sobs shook through me, eliciting more pain.
I was ready for it to be over. I could join them wherever they were. We could be together again.
“No, Rosita. Please. Hold on a little longer.”
Anger filled me at their pleas. Hold on? I’d been holding on since I’d lost Papi. Maybe even longer. After all I’d been through, didn’t I deserve to rest now?
“There it is. I sense your anger. Hold on to it. Let it anchor you here.”
No. I didn’t want to be here.
My eyes shot open. Jesse knelt before me, her concerned eyes roaming my face and her hands hovering above mine.
“You don’t have to do this alone, Rosita. That’s something your mother never learned. It’s okay to need help. We can do this together.”
I blinked at her. “Do what? Look at me!”
“Look for yourself.”
I followed her gaze. Some of my bones had returned to their proper place. New skin was stitching itself back together in patches. I was already healing.
My magic?
“We can still stop her. Together. The plan will work.”
A strange gurgle escaped me. I didn’t know if it was a laugh or a sob. The witch was crazy. How the Hell did she expect me to be able to face the supreme again?
“Jesse, I can’t. I’m sorry. It’s over.”
Her lips flattened in a thin line. “No. She’s way too dangerous to be left with all that power. We have to stop her. You won’t have to do this alone. We’ll confront her together. Perform a reversal spell. Her power will be transferred to us. You, me, and Ash. It’s going to work.”
I glanced beside her, noticing the young witch for the first time. She gave me a fierce looking nod. They wanted to destroy the supreme. Anger rolled through me. I wanted the same, after all she’d done. Mama. Rafael’s Dad. Jesse. Ash. Papi. Me.
A fresh wave of pain washed over me as I tried t
o rise. “How? I don’t even have hands to cast with.”
Jesse and Ash helped me to my feet. Dizziness struck as the pain flared once more. My skin still felt like it was on fire, though the pain had lessened.
“It will be enough. It’s going to hurt like Hell, but you can still do this.”
I clenched my eyes shut. The thought of moving my hands made me shudder. Ash gave me a gentle squeeze on my shoulder, her eyes meeting mine.
We shared a look. We’d both been irrevocably changed through this fight. Both had lost much, she more than I, but somehow were still standing. I glanced at Jesse on my other side. She was practically still a stranger to me, but I knew she would be a better alternative than the current supreme.
Grayson had suggested, wrongly I realized, that I would have to destroy the coven to stop the supreme. But these other witches didn’t deserve to die for what their supreme had done. I didn’t need to destroy the coven. I needed to help the coven destroy her.
“Okay. Let’s do it.” My words came out a croak.
I struggled to walk even with their help. Pain overwhelmed my senses, making me feel faint.
“Now. This is going to hurt. A lot. I’m sorry.”
Before I could smart mouth off to Jesse, a wave of agonizing pain struck me, taking my breath away. Black dots filled my vision, and I was vaguely aware that I was screaming bloody murder and every swear word I knew—in both English and Spanish.
Sympathy swam in Ash’s eyes, making me squirm. Had she gone through similar pain when they killed her? The vision of her broken body flashed in my head.
Anger rolled through me at the memory. The supreme thought she had won. Thought she could keep us down, but she failed.
We could still fight back. Stop her—together.
“How do we find her?” I asked when the pain passed through.
Jesse patched me up as best she could, and it would have to do.
“I know where she is.” A fierce look of determination flashed on her face.
This battle was more hers than mine. She’d been the supreme of Luna Negra before Jimena had taken over. She’d probably spent years planning her vengeance for everything the witch had done and now with my help and Ash’s, Jesse would finally win.
Ash’s eyebrows knitted together in a questioning look.
Jesse met her stare. “The place where it all began.”
The young witch nodded in affirmation. I didn’t know where they meant or the significance of it, but I could tell it meant something to them. I scanned the ground for my sword, heart sinking as I realized it was gone.
“You don’t need your sword, Rosita. Your ring will be a strong enough conduit.” Jesse assured me as if reading my thoughts.
“The others?” I asked.
“I don’t know where everyone is, but we have to do this.”
I nodded. “How do we get there?”
“This way.” I turned at the sound of Miss Weatherstone’s voice.
She gave me an encouraging nod. “I’ll bring your friends too.”
Fighting the wave of pain, I followed the others as she led us to a portal. My eyes scanned the battle behind us, hoping to find a familiar face. I couldn’t make out anything.
“Alright. Let’s go.” I turned to the portal and stepped through with the others.
Light and sound swirled around me, making my stomach roll. I didn’t think I would ever get used to portal travel. Blinking, I tried to clear my mind and shove down the pain. My hands felt as if they were on fire again, but in the darkness, I couldn’t tell if Jesse’s healing was being reversed again.
Were my hands going to stay in that reversal spell forever? I pushed away the dark thought and tried to steel myself for what was coming. It wasn’t over yet.
The ground swayed before me. I shook my head and glanced around. Cold whipped around us, making me shiver.
“Where are we?” I looked for the others.
“Not far from Malibu. This is where I first started Luna Negra,” Jesse answered.
I glanced around at the empty little cottage. The faint smell of candle wax and herbs filled the dusty air.
“Yes, and where you lost the coven too.” The supreme appeared before us.
She was alone this time, but I could sense the magic rolling off her in waves. Jesse was right. She was overloaded with too much power.
“Jimena. This is your last chance to turn yourself in.” Jesse straightened to her full height, “I’m taking back control of Luna Negra.”
“You?” The supreme laughed. “You, Jesse? You’re nothing. You’re not powerful enough to lead the coven. You can’t wield this kind of magic.”
“Not just me.” The older witch met her stare.
Jimena scoffed as she turned to me. “The healer? You think you can lead the coven?”
“Yeah, see that’s the difference between me and you. You’re a power-hungry puta and I’m a team player.”
Confusion spread on her face.
“She’s not wielding all the power by herself.” Jesse spoke up.
Jimena whipped to Jesse. “What have you done?”
“I told you. We are taking your power back,” Jesse answered.
Ash stepped forward and glared at the witch.
The supreme reeled in surprise. “You? You brought her back to defeat me?” She laughed harshly.
“She couldn’t stop me in life, what makes you think she can defeat me in death? She can’t even do magic now. She’s just an empty shell.”
“We don’t need her to do magic, dumbass,” I snapped.
Her head spun toward me, mouth agape. I couldn’t help but smile at the dumbstruck look on her face.
“Are you still not following?” I laughed. “It’s a simple reversal spell.”
“It’s like you said, Jimena. Ashlyn is a shell. Or a vessel now. A conduit too.”
Ash gave her a triumphant smile.
The supreme stumbled back.
I stepped toward her, not bothering to hide my smile now. “Oh, and remember how you thought my affinity for healing magic was useless? Well, I found something it’s good for.”
She stared at me, realization dawning.
“I guess when you took on all that extra magic, it messed you up pretty badly. Good thing, I can heal you. And with Ash, Jesse, and I, we can distribute all that power.”
Her eyes narrowed on us. “You three think you can outmatch me?” She laughed. “Even the GRIMM couldn’t stop me.”
“Well, technically you ran away,” I pointed out.
She turned her scowl on me.
I shrugged. “Just saying.”
Her hand shot up into the air. I shrank back, expecting an attack, but it didn’t come.
“You forgot the first rule of the coven.” Jesse smiled. Though her lips were smiling, her eyes were cold and hard.
Ash’s lips were curled in a triumphant sneer as well.
“This first ground is sacred, or did you forget?” Jesse’s voice hardened. “You can’t harm your fellow coven witch here.”
The supreme sneered at us. “Then how are you going to use your magic on me?”
Jesse’s smile widened. “Because our magic is healing magic. To restore you to your better self.”
Rage flashed on the witch’s face, she threw another spell at us. It bounced off our shield. Fire.
Flames erupted around us.
“Your fire can’t hurt us here.” Jesse shook her head, she flicked her wrist and doused the flames.
Realizing we had the upper hand, and she was nothing without her magic, the supreme turned to flee.
Jesse’s hand shot out, vines sprang from the ground and grabbed the other witch by her ankles. My head spun to Jesse in surprise.
She returned my gaze. “Earth magic is my affinity too. Though I think your connection is even stronger.” Her eyes drifted to Ash and then back to me, “Should we begin the reversal spell?”
Ash’s eyes narrowed as she nodded.
&
nbsp; I swallowed hard, trying to ignore the pain shooting through my hands. Just a little bit longer. We were so close to finishing it now. She had no escape and without her being able to cast her magic at us, we had the full advantage.
It was now or never.
“Let’s begin.” Jesse’s voice was soft and measured.
She’d been waiting for this moment for a long time. I closed my eyes and lifted my hands up. Pain speared through me as Jesse and Ash grabbed each of my hands. Though their touch was gentle, it still hurt like Hell.
But I couldn’t focus on that. We were almost at the end now. If we could perform this spell, the fight would be over. She’d be powerless again. The same as any other witch.
“Feel the pull.” Jesse’s voice faded away.
I did feel it. It was strong. My skin tingled with the sensation as the earth magic rolled through me. I didn’t know if it was because I’d gotten better at magic or if it was because there was so much of it there, but the pull was stronger than I’d ever felt before.
Pain flared once more, but I pushed it back down. I only needed to do one spell. We could do it.
My head throbbed, but I worked with the others as we began unraveling and separating the binding spell she’d done. Each red thread represented a witch who had died to give her more power. Anger filled me at the senselessness of it. All the firstborns that hadn’t made it.
Blinking away the tears that threatened to spill out, I held my hands palms up, trying to ignore the pain shooting through them. Though I wanted to use my magic to tear her apart, instead we were breaking down her own spell. She tried to fight against us, but without her flames, she could do nothing.
“You are making a mistake, Jesse. Siding with the GRIMM. They will never accept us. Our only chance at survival is to overthrow them. Can’t you see that?”
The supreme’s desperate words drifted around us.
“You made a mistake when you went after your own coven and chose yourself. The only thing you care about is power, and now I’ll take it from you just like you took my witches.” Jesse’s words were steely.
Jimena’s loud gasp startled me. My eyes flew open to find her sprawled on the wooden floor of the little cottage.
Her hair covered her face.
