by Rae Rivers
Shouts rang out, mingling with the creepy voices of the dead witches. The air had turned icy, the wind and rain relentless.
Hazel was on her hands and knees, glaring at them, her tattooed teeth bared in a terrifying snarl. She was drenched. Her hair and clothes clung to her. Her expression had twisted in agony from the overwhelming energy flushing through her.
But she refused to surrender.
When John leapt through the air toward Kate, Jenna was there in lightning speed. They erupted into a rapid fight, martial arts in all its glory. But her vision spotted when he elbowed her in the face. Fighting the disorientation, she staggered, grunting. John spat out blood, grinning, but reeled around as Kate pounced. She dropped low, delivering a hard kick to his knee.
“You bitch!” he yelled as he collapsed, clutching his leg – the same one Ethan had speared back in Ameera.
Declan’s roar of rage had Jenna pivoting around. He staggered and fell to his knees. Rick stood behind him, a spear clutched in his hand, the blade embedded deep in Declan’s back. The warlock swung around as Ethan charged him.
“Declan!” Kate screamed, struggling to her feet. But she was weak and stumbled into Jenna.
Jenna grasped her witch with both hands and together they hurried toward Declan. “Twice in one night I’ve had to save your ass, Declan,” she grumbled, tugging out the spear and healing him. “It’s about time you pulled your weight!”
“Shut up, Blondie.”
She helped him up, searching for Ethan and Archer. Her eyes burned from the black smoke, her vision foggy, but she was able to track them. They fought with such strength and speed, but were exhausted and outnumbered.
Breathless, she forced down the rising panic as their enemies closed in. NO! Her gaze found Hazel, the woman behind the torture.
It all ended with her.
“Stay with Sienna and Declan!” she told Kate as an idea came to mind. “Ethan! Archer!” Without looking back, she raced through the carnage, dodging their enemies. As the two brothers fought their way toward her, Jenna hurtled over Rick and crashed into Hazel.
“Get the hell off me!” Hazel screamed, pounding Jenna with her fists.
“The witches who died were good witches!” Jenna shouted. She twisted around, using her body weight to pin Hazel, and grabbed her wrists. “I will die before I let you steal their legacy.”
“And I will die before I let you stop me!”
An invisible force slammed into Jenna’s chest, launching her backward. Hazel stood, arms beside her thighs, her hands curled. She released an eerie laugh, one that held more crazy than humour, but it was cut short when Jenna unclenched her fingers.
Hazel’s jaw unhinged when she saw the bracelet in Jenna’s hand and she quickly searched her wrist, crying out when she couldn’t find it.
“Sienna!” Jenna shouted, tossing her the bracelet. “The portal!”
Hazel went mad.
“No!” she screeched, picking up a discarded knife beside her. Straightening, she threw it at Sienna.
“SIENNA!” Jenna screamed as Archer dove in front of her, fielding the attack.
Hazel clapped her hands together and the ground exploded. Sand erupted; the house tore apart, a frightening rumble of absolute destruction.
Ethan came up behind Jenna, Archer staggering after him. Panting, their gazes met briefly before they glanced at the portal.
As a new plan unfolded, they turned toward Hazel. Together, they charged, crashing into her in one synchronised movement.
And catapulted through the portal.
CHAPTER FIFTY FOUR
AMEERA
Ethan grunted as they burst through the portal and skidded across the sand.
They were in the overgrown amusement park, the roller coaster looming behind them. Thank God Hazel had moved the opening to ground level.
Hazel scrambled away and he lunged for her, grabbing her ankle. The witch’s frantic kick was accompanied by a mind blast like no other. Groaning, Ethan released her and clutched his head, vaguely aware of Archer mimicking his movements behind him.
Fighting the pain, he staggered after her, but the snap of his name stopped him.
“Ethan, your brother!” Jenna yelled.
The mind blast eased and Ethan glanced over his shoulder, his vision blurry from the pain. But he saw the horror splashed across her face and knew that something was wrong. And then he saw Archer’s face. Twisted in pain, gasping air.
Ethan searched his brother for injuries and scanned for Hazel, not surprised to see her hurrying away. His instinct was to chase after her, stop her. End this. Everything they’d fought so hard and long for. It would all be over. Absorbing the energy of all the dead witches, along with theirs, had exhausted her and she’d been separated from her people. Now might be his only chance.
He was about to follow, charged with an adrenaline rush and rage that urged him forward, but he hesitated and glanced back at Archer, divided in a way he loathed. One chance.
Archer collapsed, clutching his chest.
Jenna was beside him in an instant. “You’re hurt! There’s so much blood! Ethan!”
Dammit. He gave a growl of frustration and raced back to his brother.
He slung an arm around Archer and hoisted him upward, leading him behind an old shed. It was dark, the only light from the full moon, and so damn cold. He placed Archer on the ground, panic sweeping through him when he heard his brother’s wheezing. Blood soaked his shirt, the smell filling Ethan’s nostrils in a way that made him cringe.
“Oh no,” Jenna gasped, gaping at the knife lodged in Archer’s chest.
Ethan’s entire universe shifted at the sight of the blade embedded in his brother’s flesh. Way too fucking close to his heart – lethal to a Keeper. Ethan’s ability to breathe had disappeared as he pulled out the knife. It released with a sickly, sucking sound. He tossed the weapon aside and grabbed his brother’s head between his hands. “Don’t you dare do this, Archer. Don’t you dare!”
“Dammit, that bitch stabbed me …” Archer muttered, but the words came out as a grunt. He spat out blood and took Ethan’s arm.
“Stay still,” Jenna said, kneeling beside them. She spread her hands over the wound, blood pooling around her fingers. Archer coughed, gasping air, spitting out blood. She lifted her head to meet Ethan’s gaze and he hated the panic he saw in her eyes. “It’s not working!”
“What the hell? Heal him, dammit!”
“I’m trying!”
Her movements grew more frantic and she jerked Archer’s shoulders, crying out when her second attempt to heal him made no difference.
“Jen,” Ethan choked, that single word a pathetic plea of desperation. He leaned over his brother, dipping his head so they were on eye-level. “Archer, don’t you leave us, brother. Sienna’s waiting for you –”
Archer caught his wrist with one hand. “Tell her …” he wheezed. “Tell her I love her.”
“You tell her yourself, damn you.”
“Why can’t I heal him?” Jenna cried, her voice tinged with panic. “We’re losing him, Ethan. Oh, my God.”
Archer stilled. His eyes widened, his expression twisted in agony. But it was the fear in his eyes that struck Ethan. Raw terror. The kind that came when faced with death.
“NO!” Ethan shouted, a bolt of hot denial landing in his gut.
“Why can’t I heal him? Oh, my God. Archer!”
Ethan felt for a pulse, a roar of rage erupting from him when he found none. No, no, no. He grabbed his brother’s shoulders, shaking him. He pressed his fists onto Archer’s chest, locked his fingers together, and pumped.
“ARCHER!” Jenna cried when he simply stared at them. She scrambled around him, cradling his head, and released a soft wail that sounded nothing like her.
Ethan kept pumping, muttering to his brother, willing life back into him. And then he froze, his heart pounding, devastation and denial competing inside him. Because somewhere between that he knew it was o
ver. Too late. Too goddamn late.
He could see it in his brother’s vacant eyes and blank expression. Archer lay slumped against Jenna, his head limp. No! NO!
He gasped air and buckled over, as though he’d taken a punch to the gut. He grunted, unable to breath. His vision blurred and he grabbed his brother’s hand, but it was ice-cold and slippery from the blood.
He released Archer’s hand as though it had scalded him and looked at his own, his fingers dripping with blood. His brother’s blood.
It took every ounce of strength he had to stifle the loud roar of fury that bubbled inside him; one so powerful and brutal that it felt like it would rip him apart, tearing everything on the way out.
“I’m so sorry, brother,” he whispered. “I’m so goddamn sorry.”
He ran his trembling fingers over his brother’s face, closing his eyes, and turned away. Cursing softly, he paced, gasping air, anything to calm the rage and pain. He wiped his bloody hands on his jeans and squeezed his eyes shut to block out the image of his brother’s lifeless body sprawled against the side of an abandoned shed.
Archer. Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit.
Ethan lifted his head when he heard movement nearby, his senses snapping forward. It was easier to deal with a physical threat than the shitstorm of emotions about to erupt inside him. So he went with that and stood, keeping to the shadows of the shed, and peered around it.
A crowd of people had gathered around Hazel, men and women he recognised from the warehouse a few days ago. The night they’d slain two Keepers and scavenged their powers. And now, another Keeper had been slain at the hands of their enemies.
His brother.
He clenched his fists, biting back the wave of rage, vaguely aware of Jenna peering over his shoulder.
Axel shoved Megan to her knees in front of them and glared at Hazel. “We had a fucking deal, Hazel.”
Hazel’s tattooed features twisted in anger. She waved a fist at him. “The Bennetts and their stupid witch just attacked. Where the hell were you?”
“Waiting for your word, which never came. What game are you playing, witch?”
She pinned Megan with a lethal stare. “Megan was sent to summon you through the portal.”
“Pity she was so damn tight-lipped with the location.”
Hazel stomped forward, crouching in front of Megan. The younger witch kept her head high, despite her trembling. Hazel stared at her for a long moment before slapping her. Hard. “You betrayed me. Like that damn Keeper bitch? How could you?”
Megan swiped a hand across her face, smearing the blood. “I’m all for your cause, Hazel, but you’ve gone too far.”
“So you left us there to die? Are you insane?”
“You’ve made it clear that nothing matters besides getting your magical fix. Nothing. Screw the rest of the world. You’re a danger to everyone around you, us included.”
“You’re right,” Hazel hissed, rising. “Nothing else … matters.” A quick nod to Axel had him sliding an arm around Megan’s shoulders. With a loud grunt, he snapped her neck.
“NO!” Jenna cried, her words muffled when Ethan shoved a hand over her mouth.
“Where’s the portal, Hazel?” Axel shouted.
“It’s still open, but Jenna and her Bennett friends are here,” Hazel called out. “Sienna won’t close it until they’re safe. Find them! They’re our leverage for getting my bracelet back and regaining control of the portal. Find them and bring them to me! Let’s end this!”
Her words triggered an eruption of cheers, along with a shuffle of movement as they all spread out.
Fresh fear gripped Ethan as he searched for the portal, their way home. He ducked as something flew past his head on a whoosh of air. An arrow slammed into the wall of the shed. A moment later, dozens more followed, striking at their enemies.
Shouts rang out as the men and women scattered for cover. Another batch of arrows took flight, raining down on them.
“Jen, we have to go,” Ethan said, a fresh spurt of adrenaline flushing his veins. He looked over his shoulder, trying to track the archers, but they were concealed within the shadows of the trees. “Jenna!”
She shook her head, looking at Archer. “We can’t leave him. Sienna –”
“We gotta go!” He took Jenna’s hand, glancing at the portal, a swirl of lights in the distance. It wouldn’t take long to reach it, but even at a full run they’d be exposed to Hazel, her people and the arrows. He turned back to his brother. Everything inside him clenched at the idea of leaving him here, but they had no choice. They were outnumbered and in danger. And Sienna needed to close the damn portal.
More arrows. More shouts.
Not stopping to consider how much he’d regret this later, he tugged off his jacket and covered his brother’s head and shoulders. “I’m so sorry, brother. I’m so damn sorry.” His voice cracked and he hurriedly turned away. Biting back the stab of pain, he took Jenna’s hand. “We have to run for the portal.”
“We can’t leave Archer –”
“He’s gone, Jen. We can’t help him. He died protecting his witch. We owe it to him to do the same and if we don’t leave now –” He froze as a cloaked figure stepped behind Jenna. The face was hidden, but the person’s presence jarred the protective surge inside him.
“I mean you no harm,” the figure said quickly. The voice belonged to a woman.
“Ethan!” Jenna gasped and went slack against him.
His arms came up around her and he turned, taking her with him, shielding her body with his own. He glanced over his shoulder at the stranger. “Who the hell are you?”
“Catherine,” Jenna croaked. “Her name’s Catherine. She’s my mother.”
CHAPTER FIFTY FIVE
A whirlwind of emotions flooded Jenna, shock being the front-runner.
“Mom?” she muttered, her voice sounding childlike. Her breath felt trapped in her lungs and her body shivered as though she’d been doused in icy water. When Ethan held her against him, she let him, needing him to ground her because … shit. She felt the slight tremble in his hold, even though his tight expression masked the grief and anger she saw in his eyes.
“Get to the portal!” Hazel screamed. Her people began running, a stampede of aggression that scattered when another round of arrows soared toward them.
“You have to get to the portal before she does,” Catherine said breathlessly, shoving back the hoodie. She wore her blond hair braided, like she always had, but the years in Ameera had aged her. Her eyes gleamed with a combination of joy and worry. She adjusted the bow and arrow on her back and glanced over her shoulder before taking Jenna’s hand and pulling her into the shadows beside the shed. “We’ll hold them off as long as we can.”
“Is it really you?” Jenna asked, her voice cracking.
Catherine hesitated, her gaze flickering between their enemies and her daughter. With a soft sigh, she tugged Jenna into her arms. But she pulled away quickly, her fleeting smile triggering so many memories Jenna had clung to. “My dear child …” she said in a shaky voice, stroking Jenna’s hair. “You’re so beautiful, so strong, everything I imagined all these years. How I’ve longed to see you again.”
Jenna swallowed repeatedly, unable to dislodge the lump in her throat. Her vision blurred and she blinked. “I didn’t think we ever would. Where’s Dad?” Catherine’s smile faded, her mouth tightened, and she shook her head. Jenna swallowed the sob, biting back the tears. “You’ve been alone all this time?”
Catherine nodded toward the trees behind her. “I have them.”
“I’m assuming they mean us no harm?” Ethan asked, glancing at the trees.
Catherine’s gaze shifted to Ethan. “No. They’re with me. All of them.” She glanced at Archer. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”
Ethan didn’t comment, but Jenna heard his soft intake of air, the rapid increase of his heartbeat. And knew he was employing every ounce of strength he had to keep it together. He gave a brief nod before
turning away. “Our witches are weak. We have to get back so they can close the portal.”
“My people will ensure your safe passage.” As if they’d heard her, they released another round of arrows, fending off Hazel and her people. “You should go. We can’t hold them back for much longer.”
Jenna’s heart skipped a beat. “You’re coming with me?” But she already knew. She could see it on her mother’s face.
“This is my home, Jenna.”
“You will die here!”
“My purpose here is incomplete.” She glanced at her people, emerging from the trees behind them. Dozens of cloaked figures, shadows in the moonlight, clutching bows and arrows, their focus on Hazel and her army. “We fight for the good of Ameera, for the people like Megan caught up in the evil. I can’t leave now. They need me.”
“Then I’ll stay!” Jenna loathed the childlike cry to her voice, but her heart felt as though it would shatter all over again. And this time, she wasn’t sure if she’d ever recover. But even as she said the words, she knew they held no weight.
Because her purpose in the mortal world was incomplete.
And she had Kate … and Ethan.
“You have to go home, Jen.” Catherine glanced at Ethan and the lifeless body of Archer behind them. “They’ll need you now more than ever.”
“Mom –” she cried, but her words were lost as the discarded arrows rattled on the ground. They softened, altering their shape, taking on a new life form. A product of Hazel’s magic Jenna instantly recognised. She’d seen it the night she’d saved Kate in the cemetery.
The arrows shifted into large black birds, screeching furiously as they transformed.
“GO!” Catherine shouted. She handed Jenna a few arrows and readied her weapon with a fresh one. “We’ll hold them back. Get to the portal!”
Dodging the screeching birds that took flight around them, they kept to the outskirts of the clearing, out of the aim of the arrows, and raced for the portal. It was a shimmer of blue in the darkness, a hint of home and safety. A reprieve from the madness of Hazel, Ameera, and so much violence.
