The Aether Witch (The Coven: Elemental Magic Book 6)

by Chandelle LaVaun

  The gate to Hell was open.

  And it was my fault.

  My stomach flipped and turned. I have to close it. I have to get there and force it shut.

  There was a beat of silence, and then the calm before the storm crashed down upon us. Demons dove straight for us. It was a meteor shower of living, breathing monsters from other realms. Bright blue light lit up the other side of the street like someone had pulled up a curtain.

  I gasped. Willow.

  Lightning flashed all around me. The moon dropped low in the sky, casting the street in an eerie blue glow. Two big, bold beams of pure sunshine swept over the street like spotlights. Everywhere it moved, demons shrieked and burst into flames.

  Yes! Lily!

  A massive stony white dragon shot across the sky and dove into the hellish stream of demons. It roared and spit fire. When it came out the other side, it had three demons clenched in its talons. Canary-yellow eyes flashed with light, then he bit the head of a demon off.

  Silas!

  The dragons were here.

  Because this was war.

  Tennessee? Tenn, where are you?! I screamed with my mind.

  But I didn’t wait for any kind of answer. I leapt to my feet and sprinted toward the open Gap. A demon dropped in front of me with a dozen spindly legs and oozing fangs. I pulled my daggers from my thigh holsters and charged toward the monster. It made a gurgling hiss noise and dove for me, but I’d trained for this. Tennessee had taught me how to fight. I jumped over the monster like an Olympic track star while slicing my blade through its body.

  When my feet hit the pavement, I dropped my shoulders and charged into a huddle of rodent-looking demons. I sliced and diced and spun like a ballerina until my daggers dripped demon blood. I turned toward the Gap to look for my soulmate, but it was raining monsters. Everywhere I looked, magic flashed and demons attacked.

  Fire bloomed inside me. This was not how this was going to end. I sheathed my daggers then called my magic to my fingers. Rainbow mist poured out of my hands. A vicious growl ripped up my throat and passed between my lips. I charged forward, toward the last place I’d seen my soulmate. Demons jumped out in front of me every step I took, but I was done playing the game by their rules. I unleashed every ounce of my magic, burning and freezing monsters without slowing down. I pushed forward through the snarling crowd of demons. With every monster I killed, my magic sparkled with power and energy.

  My feet should’ve burned and my legs should’ve ached, but the glowing of my skin boosted my power. I didn’t slow down. Lightning shot out from me and struck any demon within a few-foot range of me.

  Thick green bolts of lightning shot out up ahead. Raw, wild power rippled through the air. Magic pulsed and tingled against mine with little sparks.

  Tennessee. There was a blurred flash of white light, and then I saw him. His long black hair was tied up into a knot on top of his head. His mismatched eyes blazed with a fire that made my pulse skip beats. He jumped up and spun in a tight circle then slammed into the ground like a torpedo. The ground exploded under him. Demons burst into dust in a five-foot radius of him, like he was an atomic bomb.

  “PULL TOGETHER!” he screamed and raised his sword in the air. I slid up next to him, and he whipped around. “Tegan, close it!”

  “Damn it, there’s too many!” Cooper yelled from somewhere nearby.

  “She tricked us!” Easton tackled a massive demon in front of me then ripped its head off. His metal body armor glistened in the glow of mine and Tenn’s bodies. “This is what she wanted, and we fell for it!”

  No!

  “Tegan!” Tennessee gripped my elbow and spun me to face him. Black demon blood streaked across his beautiful cheek. “Go! Finish this!”

  Over his shoulder, bright orange flames drenched the road. Long, platinum blonde hair stood out in a sea of darkness as it whipped around like a flame.

  Think, Tegan. Think! What do I have to do?

  The notes. The notes said something...something about...about stones and elements and calling on both to close the Gap.

  I gasped. Stones and Elements. The Elemental Stones! Of course! I spun to my left toward the shimmering royal blue light. The Air Stone! There had to be two dozen demons between me and it. I willed my body to melt into bubbles of water and relocate next to the stone. Once I reformed, I reached down and plucked it from the ground. A demon grabbed my wrist and tried to pull me down, but it was no match for my magic. I flexed my fingers and it turned to solid ice, then I smashed it into a million pieces with my dagger.

  It’s after the Stone!

  I turned on my heel until I spotted my sister. Emersyn! I yelled with my mind. Big golden eyes snapped up to mine in an instant. GET THE STONES!!

  Emersyn narrowed her gaze and dove toward the red shimmering glow of the Fire Stone behind her.

  I looked to the Earth Stone, and then I was standing beside it. Without wasting a second, I scooped it up and sprinted toward the Spirit Stone. Demons shrieked in my ear, but my magic shot out on its own and blasted the monsters to ash. The Spirit Stone was barely visible, sitting on the dark gray pavement glistening like onyx. I couldn’t relocate myself with two Stones, so I flicked my wrists and opened a portal on the run. I stepped through the big white square and came out thirty feet down the street. The Earth and Air Stones buzzed with power from inside my jacket pocket.

  A demon leapt into my path. I turned the street to ice then slid under the monster. My knees slid across the ice as I pummeled it with lightning and fire. As it writhed and hissed, I spun around to grab the Spirit Stone, but a pale hand reached out and grabbed it first.

  I looked up and found Althea standing over me.

  Her olive-toned skin was radiant, and the amber of her eyes sparkled with life. Long dark hair fell around her shoulders. Gone was the translucent spirit form. She was a living, breathing human standing before me.

  And she held the Spirit Stone in the palm of her hand.

  “Althea...h-how?” I asked and scrambled to my feet.

  “Oh my god! THEY’RE ALIVE!” Paulina screamed. “They’re alive!”

  “Kill them!” Easton yelled. “They tricked us! Kill them!”

  “No!” Deacon shouted over the madness. His red lightning pierced through three demons at once. “Don’t!”

  “Hold your ground!” Tennessee screamed, his voice dripping with power and authority. “Kill the demons! Tegan, close it!”

  Althea stared at the Spirit Stone in her hand with wide amber eyes.

  “Althea...Althea, give me the Stone,” I said in a low, calm voice. “Give it to me.”

  Her head slowly rose, but her gaze was far away. “Everything...for this...?” she whispered.

  “Althea, please. The Stone.”

  A gust of hot, sticky wind slammed into me. The ground rumbled under my feet and warmed like hot coals. And then the Gap erupted in flames— No, not flames...lava.

  Althea snapped to attention. She cursed then turned to me with rage in her eyes. “Phlegethon.”

  “The river of fire?”

  “Straight from the depths of the underworld.” She placed the Spirit Stone in my hand and met my stare. “The four of us must send it back. Come. Hurry.”

  Chapter Fifty

  TENNESSEE

  It had never been so hard to keep a promise.

  Every instinct inside me urged me to race to my Coven-mates’ aid, but Tegan’s words echoed in my mind. I don’t need a hero tonight. I just need you alive come November.

  November wasn’t far away. I could hold out for her. I could play it as safe as I knew how. It wasn’t easy, though. This battle was nothing I’d ever experienced before. The night seemed to both drag on and fly by at the same time. Nothing made sense. I couldn’t pull my phone out to check the time and a demon had sliced my watch off ages ago, but the moon was in the wrong spot in the sky.

  A woman with white-blonde hair passed by me in a blur. She disappeared into the sea of demons. A tra
il of dark energy followed after her. I frowned and glanced over my shoulder. Emersyn was still standing at the Gap opening with Tegan and the zombie twins. The four of them stood there in a circle with their hands raised in the air and magic pouring out of their palms.

  Phlegethon. The river of fire from the underworld pushed against their power, trying to seep out. The lava-like wave was growing smaller, but it was still there.

  Two demons dropped in front of me, snarling and snapping their teeth. I swung my sword and sliced them in half, my blade cutting through them like butter. I looked up and spotted my soulmate’s back, her long black hair whipping through the air like snakes. My stomach turned. They’d been there too long. We were losing too much time.

  Time.

  A cold chill slithered down my spine.

  I spun around to where I’d seen the other blonde, but she was gone. My pulse quickened. We didn’t have another platinum blonde in our crew.

  Cronos. It had to be.

  I sprinted closer to my soulmate, slicing through several demons on my way. When I got within earshot, I yelled, “Tegan! Cronos is here!”

  Her head snapped toward me. Her pale green eyes shimmered with light and power. She cursed then turned and mumbled something to the three witches beside her.

  Remember your promise, she whispered into my mind.

  Willow screamed and dropped to the ground across the way. I leapt over Braison and his shadows as he took out a few demons. When my feet hit the asphalt, I swung my sword like a baseball bat then let it fly. It curved in a perfect circle, slicing through a new demon every foot.

  Willow’s cry pierced through my ears. I jumped up and landed on the demon’s back as it looked over her, then I sank my dagger into its spine. The demon exploded into a cloud of dust, and I landed on the ground. I dragged our Magician back to her feet, red blood gushing from her shoulder.

  “There’s too many!” Willow cried.

  Energy tickled against my spine. I held my hand out, and my sword flew into my palm. I brushed the sweat off my forehead, but when I pulled my hand away, I found thick streaks of black demon blood covering my skin. That maple syrup scent stung my nose.

  I shook my head and refocused on Willow. “We’re stalling! Distract them. Show them anything to make them slow down!”

  Willow’s eyes widened, but then she nodded and cracked her knuckles. “I can do that.”

  A horde of demons landed just behind Tegan. I dropped to one knee and pressed my palm to the pavement. The ground rumbled and wobbled like an earthquake. Demons staggered and fell to the ground. I pulled the dirt up from underneath the street and slammed it into the demons’ mouths, choking them on the Earth they wanted to destroy.

  Roots as thick as my arms pierced through the street. They shot up and wrapped around a line of demons, pinning them to the ground. They squirmed and tried to break free.

  My father ran by me. His clothes were torn and burned, human and demon blood splattered all over him. But he didn’t seem to care or notice. He grabbed the first pinned demon by the arm then ripped him in half with his bare hands.

  Royce sped by, racing ahead of my father and summoning more roots through the street. My father followed his path, dismembering demon after demon. They made a gruesome duo.

  I grinned and jumped straight into the air. I held myself up there for a moment then flew full speed at the ground, pushing my magic toward the surface. When my feet hit the street, it exploded around me in a rippled wave that carried my magic out around me. Demons crumbled in my wake.

  Something above me shrieked. I looked up just in time to watch it burst into flames. It plummeted toward the ground like an asteroid, heading straight for Tegan and Emersyn. I threw my hands up and pushed a hurricane-force gust of wind into the flaming carcass. It soared away from the Gap then crashed into a sea of demons and exploded.

  “YES!!” Chutney cheered from above me. “Yes, come and get me, you nasty bastards!”

  I looked up again, and my jaw dropped. Chutney, the sweetest, most innocent little butterfly, the Fool Card, stood on Kothari’s back. She was braced between two of his massive black spikes like she’d done this a million times.

  What is she— Oh my god.

  Chutney had a bow and arrow strapped to her back. She drew a new arrow and pulled it back. Koth roared and spit fire from his mouth. Chutney released her arrow with a roar of her own. It flew through Koth’s fire then slammed into a demon flying in front of them. It burst into flames then crashed into the ground like the other one.

  I glanced behind me to where Tegan, Emersyn, Althea, and Aurelia still stood in a circle trying to force the river of fire back into hell. In front of me, my friends were thick in battle, fighting for their lives.

  It took everything inside me not to charge into the army of demons and fight. I promised Tegan I wouldn’t be reckless. I promised I’d play it safe and smart. But more than that, someone had to watch her back. This was the final countdown. This was where everything mattered. If she or Emersyn went down, we’d all fail.

  I rolled my shoulders and tightened my grip on my weapons, then I spun and sprinted toward the Gap. My path was littered with oozing, venomous monsters, but they had nothing on me. I sliced and diced my way around the two sets of twins, killing anything that came into my path.

  A cold draft swept over me. I turned, ready to blast whatever it was—but it was just ice. Timothy stood twenty feet away with his arms raised to his sides. He covered the ground and everything in a fifteen-foot radius in ice. Demons froze in an instant. In the blink of an eye, there was an entire collection of ice sculptures. The air around them glittered, and then dozens of Devons appeared. I didn’t know which one of her was the real Devon, but neither did the demons. She swung her daggers through their frozen forms, and they shattered like broken glass.

  Cooper screamed and then soared through the air, like he’d been thrown. I summoned a gust of wind to carry him down to the ground beside me. The second he was down, he rolled to his knees and jumped back up.

  “Thanks,” Cooper said between heavy breaths. He glanced down at his wrist, and his face paled. “It’s after eleven! Why isn’t that closed yet?”

  My stomach dropped. After eleven? How? It felt like we’d only just started this fight. Cronos. That must’ve been her I saw. She must’ve warped time around us to help the demons win. I cursed. Cooper was right—the Gap wasn’t closed yet.

  I gripped his shoulder and squeezed. “Coop, bring everyone closer! I want eyes on everyone!”

  I knew my adoptive brother wouldn’t ask questions. We understood each other. I used all my non-human speed and raced to Tegan’s side.

  She gasped and turned her head toward me with questions in her eyes.

  “Tegan, it’s after eleven!” I yelled over the chaos.

  Her eyes widened. “AFTER ELEVEN?”

  “Yes!” I sliced the head off a demon then turned back to her. “What’s taking so long? What can I do to help?”

  She growled and turned to glare at the Gap still dumping demons by the thousands into our realm. “I don’t know! It’s not working!”

  “Something is wrong!” Emersyn screamed.

  Aurelia shook her head. “We’ve got a hold of the river—”

  “Something is keeping it here!” Althea shouted and glanced around the street at the war surrounding us. “There’s some kind of connection. We have to stop that or this won’t close!”

  Tegan groaned. Her heart pounded in my glyph. “But what is it?”

  Chapter Fifty-One

  DEACON

  But what is it? Tegan’s words echoed through my mind.

  I stood my ground behind Emersyn, guarding her back while she tried to fulfill her destiny…but Tennessee’s news had rocked me. Somehow it was already after eleven. We had less than an hour to close the Gap, and the four of them had been in the same position for hours. Althea said something on Earth was keeping it open, some kind of connection. I didn’t understand
that. What could possibly be responsible for that?

  I spun in circles, searching for an answer or even a clue, but then I spotted something that sent a cold chill deep into my bones.

  Henley sat cross-legged on the street with her eyes closed like she was deep in meditation. Her normally porcelain skin was a sickly shade of white. Demons moved all around her, yet she sat frozen. Nothing touched her. She was an easy target, but nothing was touching her.

  I took a few steps closer. “Henley!” I screamed with my heart in my throat. Please don’t have red eyes. Please.

  Her eyes flew open…and they were sapphire. I sighed but then a cold chill slithered down my spine. Her gaze locked on me, and my stomach turned. There was something not quite human in her stare. The energy pouring out of her was ice cold and humming with malice. Almost like it was laughing at me.

  My pulse skipped a beat. “Guys! Guys, something is wrong with Henley!”

  Tegan gasped. “Keltie’s warning! I’m such an idiot!”

  I peeled my gaze off our Moon Card and turned to my High Priestess. “What are you talking about?”

  “What did she”—Tennessee spun and sliced three demons in half, then turned back—“tell you?”

  “Hold the Gap!” Tegan yelled to the other three. When they nodded, she dissolved into a million bubbles of water then reappeared right in front of me. She gripped the crystal hanging around her neck and a golden light flashed, then the big, brown, leather-bound Book of Shadows sat in her palm. She shoved it into my chest and held my stare. “Bring this to Bentley! Tell him Keltie said to find the spell to help heal Henley’s soul. It will be one of the oldest in the Book. Tell him to find it. I don’t think we’ll be able to close this without that spell. Now GO!”

  With the Book gripped tightly in my arms, I spun on my toes and sprinted toward the house where Bentley hid. A white portal box appeared in front of me, and I charged through it. When I stepped out of Tegan’s portal, I spotted Bentley standing in the middle of a Sapien’s garage. I opened my mouth to call out to him when a nasty spider demon dropped from the ceiling of the garage. I screamed and pumped my legs as fast as I could. Bentley didn’t know how to fight. I wasn’t even sure he had a weapon on him.