Of Time & Spells

by Jennifer Snyder

  As I watched the green powder float through the early morning light toward the four witches, I readied myself to strike once the cloak did its thing, knowing it would more than likely be our only chance to get any blows in. My muscles twitched with unease because I knew it wouldn’t last long. We would have to act fast.

  When the green powder was inches from the witches, it did the unthinkable; it paused in midair.

  “Thank you, darling. We were so hoping you’d share your magic with us.” The oldest woman flashed a wicked grin. “If you have any other magic tricks up your sleeve, please don’t hesitate to show us.” Her hand splayed out in front of her as though she were holding the powder at bay with it. I noticed her daughters do the same. The second their hands formed into a fist, the powder vanished.

  My brows furrowed as I stared at the empty space where it had been. What the heck just happened?

  “Their syphons, Jasper,” Anna whispered loud enough for me to hear.

  “Syphons?” Either my brother didn’t know what the word meant, or he was struggling to process what they were and change his game plan.

  “You can’t use magic against them. They’ll only soak it up and use it against you,” Anna clarified.

  “Oh crap,” Tristan said from beside me.

  I licked my lips, my mouth having gone dry as I stared at the four women. “My thoughts exactly.”

  Chi dashed from the minivan toward the witches without warning. He held a sword in each hand. They both gleamed in the early morning light as he ran. The instant he passed Meili, she charged the Vodun witches as well. She made it up three of the porch steps before one of the daughters blew the green powder she’d gained from Jasper in her face. Meili froze as her mind succumbed to the spell.

  I licked my lips for a second time, this time not to wet them, but instead to taste the magic lingering in the air. I was surprised to find the familiar taste of my brother’s cloaking magic. A pungent, earthy aftertaste hit the back of my throat seconds later. It was the foreign, dark magic these witches possessed.

  They’d taken my brother’s magic all right, but they’d twisted it with their own.

  “No magic. Only your daggers.” Jasper placed a hand on my shoulder. “Understood?”

  I nodded. “Yes.”

  In the next instant, my brother bound up the porch steps toward the witches, determination rippling off him in waves. I didn’t wait to see if one of them would use his cloak against him. Instead, I held tight to my dagger and started up the steps behind him. He wasn’t going after them alone. This was my fight as much as it was his. These witches had murdered our parents, and now Jasper and I were here to be their grim reapers.

  Chapter 7

  Jasper had dodged one of the witches’ attempts at using his cloak against him, but another’s had gotten Anna. I swore I’d heard a sigh of relief come from my brother when it happened. I knew he hadn’t wanted Anna here, and having her rooted in place out of harm’s way while he fought against evil probably sounded good to him.

  From the corner of my eye, I could see my brother holding his own against the mother of the Vodun witches. Where she had gotten her rose-colored sword I wasn’t sure, but it was there nonetheless, twanging against Jasper’s tiny dagger. Tristan was a few feet away, battling it out with a couple of random raven-tattooed soldiers who’d appeared while Liam fought against one of the sisters. Chi had recovered from the immobilizing cloak and was fighting with a few of the other raven-tattoed soldiers. Seeing him moving about meant it wouldn’t be long before Meili was free. While I still didn’t care for her much, her skills as a fighter couldn’t be denied.

  My attention came back to the witch I was fighting when I sliced across her chest with a random sweep of my dagger. The sight of her blood fueled me. I lunged at her, allowing my body to take over my actions and switch my mind off. It was as though I’d learned the rhythm of the wicked dance we were locked in, and I no longer fought against the beat. Seeing her blood spill had put me in sync with everything. At least I thought it had.

  The sensation didn’t last long enough.

  Seconds later, I was sprawled on my back, struggling to block the blows coming at me from the crazed witch. Apparently she didn’t enjoy seeing her blood. It infuriated her, sending her into beast mode. The impact from the fall knocked my dagger from my grasp, which left my hands as my only choice of weapon. I did the only thing I could think of—the one thing my brother taught me to do in situations like this—I slammed my palm into the her nose.

  Blood sprayed from her, covering my face and getting in my eyes. I ignored it as best I could while I struggled to buck her off me. She weighed a ton. Not only did she have me in the age department by years, but in height and weight as well.

  The desire to reach for one of my cloaks pulsed through me, but Anna’s words echoed in my head: You can’t use any magic against them. They’ll only soak it up and use it against you. But, as the woman’s hands wrapped around my neck to squeeze the life out of me, I knew I had to use everything at my disposal. I’d made the cloaks for a reason. Survival.

  My fingertips brushed along my leg, but I wasn’t able to bend the way I needed to reach any of my vials. Black dots swirled along the outer edges of my vison. Time was running out. In seconds, I’d black out or worse.

  With nothing else at my disposal, I used my hands again. This time, instead of slamming my palm into her nose, I jammed my thumbs into her eyes. She released her hold on my neck. My lungs sucked in long breaths, having been starved for air too long. Each breath burned, but the dire need for air outweighed the pain. I thrust my hips in an effort to get her off me. If I could get back on my feet, I’d be able to take her down for good. The woman wouldn’t budge. She latched her legs onto me. I shoved her but couldn’t put enough power behind my movement to cause her to even sway. She was like an Amazon princess.

  I didn’t have to struggle beneath her weight for long though because Liam came to my rescue. He gripped underneath her arms and pulled her off me in one swift movement.

  Relief settled in.

  “Thanks,” I choked out through bruised windpipes as I sat up.

  My fingertips felt along my throat, massaging the tender muscles. I glanced around, taking notice of the others. Meili had come to and so had Anna. Both were helping to take down the Vodun witches’ pack of cult-like soldiers. My gaze shifted back to Liam. I was curious to see how he was faring against the sister I’d been battling.

  I blinked rapidly, attempting to focus on what I was seeing. It took me a few seconds to process it.

  Liam wasn’t fighting her. Instead he was making sure she was okay.

  Raw concern splashed across his face as he traced along the bridge of her nose. His touch was tender. Too tender, like that of a lover.

  I didn’t understand.

  “Liam?” My brows pinched together as I stared at him, waiting for an answer as to why he was being so loving to her.

  She’d tried to kill me. He’d jerked her off when her hands were wrapped around my neck. Had she sent a spell his way I’d missed? What had she done to him to make him care for her so much?

  “I should kill you myself, but I know Katarina would prefer to do the honors.” Liam’s lips curled into a disgusted smile.

  Katarina? Who was Katarina? The woman beside him? “You don’t know what you’re saying. She’s done something to you.”

  “You look so confused, love.” He took a step closer to me. “I always did enjoy the deer in headlights look on you.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Such a pity the way things have to go.” His hand reached out to stroke along the side of my face. “It is for the best though.”

  I slapped his hand away. Liam was a trader. He was on the Vodun’s side. While I wasn’t sure if he was involved with the woman behind him, I gathered quickly he’d betrayed us all.

  “How could you?” Jasper had trusted him. He was his friend. Heck, I’d trusted Liam.

/>   Rage bubbled through me. I was sick of feeling betrayed. I was sick of people lying to me. I was sick of everything involving the Vodun witches.

  Revenge might have been my main motive in taking the witches down, but rage was the motivation that kept the fuel burning behind that fire.

  My leg connected with the sensitive area between Liam’s legs. He doubled over and fell to his knees. Ignoring the pulse of pain in my ankle, I balled hand into a fist and sucker punched him in the jaw. He toppled backward, withering in pain. I moved to straddle him, ready to lay into him, but hands gripped beneath my arms. Someone pulled me off him as though I weighed nothing.

  “You bitch. How dare you hurt my lover!” the woman I’d been fighting with prior to Liam’s involvement shouted.

  Lover? Who the heck called their boyfriend, or fiancé, or whatever he was to her, their lover? “That’s such a dated term.” I rounded to face her. She looked as though she was ready for round two with me.

  Her eyes were swollen, but the rest of her face had healed since our last sparring session. Did she have healing abilities? Was that what kept the Vodun looking so young and vibrant, especially the mother?

  “Maybe I’m old school,” the woman spat before releasing a kick that connected with my side.

  Pain throbbed through me. I wobbled from the force she’d packed behind the blow, but was somehow able to stay on my feet. Another kick came at me, but I dodged it. My hands came up to rest below my chin as though I was about to box with this badass woman. I didn’t extend for a punch though. The feel of something warm in my pocket sidetracked me. That tiny span of time was just enough for the woman to land a solid jab, hitting me square in the cheek. Pain exploded through the side of my face, and I fell to the ground dazed.

  “Little girl,” she hissed. “I wish you would just stay down. It would be so much easier.”

  I hated nothing more than when someone called me a little girl. A witty comeback built on the tip of my tongue, but I swallowed it at the sensation of warmth building in my pocket.

  The orange rock Kalisa had given me was reacting to something.

  It grew warmer by the second. My fingers itched to touch it. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled it out. It was not only warm to the touch, but it glowed as well. I stared at its bumpy surface, becoming lost in its beauty. The center was white while the rest remained various shades of orange dotted with tiny speckles of red.

  “What is that thing? What are you doing?”

  Panic in the woman’s voice drew my attention away from the rock. Her eyes were wide as she stared at its glowing surface.

  “It’s a rock I was given for this very moment I think,” I said.

  A sense of calm trickled through me, starting where my fingers touched the rock and spreading outward. I was supposed to use the rock in this moment. I could feel it. The pull I felt toward it was unlike anything I’d ever felt before. There was magic waiting inside to be set free. Words formed in my head as though implanted by the rock. They danced along the tip of my tongue, waiting to be released into the air.

  I locked eyes with the sister I’d been fighting. Fear had sharpened her features. She didn’t know what the rock was but knew it was something to be afraid of. A satisfied smile sprang onto my face at the sight of her terror.

  Words floated past my lips in a language I’d never heard before. They sent a charge rippling through the air that had the fine hairs along the back of my neck standing on end. While I didn’t know what the words meant, the amount of power they possessed was crystal clear.

  A gasp escaped the woman. While I might not know what I’d set into action by saying the words, she seemed to. Her eyes glistened with fear. My sense of smugness grew. She opened her mouth, but then quickly clamped her lips shut. Apparently whatever she’d wanted to say she suddenly thought better of it.

  Or so I thought.

  When her lips clamped shut so tightly they turned white, I wasn’t so sure keeping words in was her problem. It seemed like something more. The smug sense of satisfaction I’d felt left me as tingles of panic shifted through my chest while I continued to watch her hold whatever she was struggling to in.

  When she was no longer able, her mouth opened and thick, red smoke poured out.

  Chapter 8

  The red smoke rolled past her parted lips and curled into a cloud formation above her head. The strength of it rushing through her body forced her head back and spread her arms at her sides.

  “Seraphina!” Liam moved to her side. He cradled her is his arms and smoothed her hair away from her face. Corded veins in his neck bulged to the surface of his skin as a slight sheen of sweat built across his face, glistening in the early morning light as he continued to rock her back and forth. “No!”

  He loved her.

  I wasn’t sure when or how it was possible, but somehow Liam had fallen in love with one of the Vodun witches.

  “What the hell is that?” Jasper’s voice broke through my thoughts. “Piper, what did you do?”

  I opened my mouth to answer but didn’t know how. I wasn’t sure what I had done.

  “Seraphina!” The mother witch dashed to her daughter’s side, shoving Liam out of her way in the process. “My poor baby. Don’t worry. Mommy will fix it. Mommy always fixes everything.”

  The woman’s hands hovered over her daughter’s limp body. No, they didn’t. A gasp escaped me. Her hands didn’t hover over her; they sank through her.

  Either Seraphina wasn’t real, or she was a ghost.

  The more I stared at her, the more transparent she became.

  “What’s happening to her?” Tristan stepped to my side.

  “I think the rock Kalisa gave me did something to her.” I held it out. “I think it pulled whatever that red stuff is from her. I think it’s her magic.”

  The other sisters moved in, surrounding Seraphina. Tears streaked down their faces as they huddled against each other, watching their sister fade away. Goodbyes bubbled past their lips as they continued to sob. The mother whispered words I couldn’t make out as she attempted to soothe her daughter one last time. My gaze shifted to Liam. He was still at her side, and appearing just as broken as her family. Sobs wracked his body as he wept for the loss of the woman he loved.

  “Liam was on their side the entire time?” Anna moved to stand on the other side of my brother.

  “I told you he slipped something into my tea that night,” Meili scolded Jasper. “I told you not to trust him.” She took a step forward, blocking my view of Seraphina. I thought she was about to strike while they were focused on the loss of one of their own, but she waited.

  It took me only a second to figure out why: the red smoke had stopped pouring from Seraphina. It congregated above her head in an ominous cloud that gave off vibes of pure evil. Meili took a step back, which gave me a clear view of Seraphina again. She was nearly see-through. Her head was still tipped toward the sky as though she were frozen in place by fear. A strange expression of pain and torment had twisted onto her face. The instant it faded into something of peace was the instant she vanished.

  One second she was there, the next she was gone.

  “Holy hell,” Tristan muttered from beside me.

  I blinked rapidly, my mind unable to process what happened. “Yeah.”

  The witches folded in on themselves. Earth-shattering sobs wracked from their bodies as they mourned their lost loved one. I replayed what I’d done. How the rock had warmed in my pocket, begging for me to touch it. How the words I didn’t understand had pushed themselves past my lips. A slick sheen of sweat dampened my palms. I was the one responsible for their pain.

  So what? A mental voice shouted at me. They killed your parents. An eye for an eye that’s all this was. Nothing more. Nothing less.

  I pulled in a deep breath through my nose and straightened my back. My gaze drifted to my brother wanting to see if he shared my level of satisfaction for seeing them hurt after all they’d taken from us. Jasper’s gaze wa
s hard, but he wasn’t staring at the witches. Instead, he seemed to watching something else. Something that was moving.

  I followed his gaze. The red cloud was rolling in on itself in much the same way as the Snake of Possession had. The movement seemed to be what was keeping it afloat. It was hypnotizing.

  Meili inched forward, drawing my attention to her. She lifted her dagger, readying to strike one of the witches while they were still locked in a tortured state of mourning. Movement above her startled me. The red smoke was matching her steps. Each tentative step forward she made it seemed to do the same, erasing the distance between the two.

  It was stalking its prey.

  The thought slammed into me with so much force it took my breath away. Meili thought she was the hunter, but she was actually the prey.

  I opened my mouth to warn her, but the words wouldn’t come fast enough.

  The beautifully vile smoke dove toward her. I watched in horror as it burrowed into her chest. She dropped to the ground without a sound. Seizure-like spasms shook her body as the red smoke buried itself inside her. Jasper lunged forward, but Anna grabbed his arm, holding him in place.

  “No. You can’t do anything for her, Jasper. This is powerful magic, and I think it’s looking for a host,” Anna insisted.

  “What kind of magic?” There was something different about it. “It doesn’t feel like Vodun magic.”

  “No,” Tristan surprised me by saying. “It’s dragon magic.”

  “That makes sense,” Anna whispered. “Dragon magic in large quantities has been known to resurrect if called on at the right time.”

  “You think that’s why they ripped the dragon’s magic away? To resurrect Seraphina?” I asked.

  “I do.” Anna nodded. “The reason there were four Vodun instead of three is because they figured out a way to resurrect the fourth through the use of the dragon magic they stole just in the knick of time.”

  “Silence,” Katarina, the mother of the Vodun witches said, directing her attention to Anna.