“Fucking huge, I’d wager.” Nick inched closer to Moira’s chair.
“Damn straight,” Dru said. “You should have seen her. She blasted the shit out of everyone in the vicinity. She wasn’t on fire. She was fire.”
His passionate words heated her cheeks. “While I was in the fire, Kenna de Moray, our aunt who lived long ago, gave me this.” She pulled out her wand. “And this.” The rubies in the crown glittered red while the gold reflected the kitchen lights.
“Son of a bitch.” Aerin slammed a fist on the table. “Where’s my fucking crown?”
I’m sorry, she mouthed to her sister.
“I need a cigarette.” Aerin glanced angrily around the room.
“I could light it for you,” Claire offered and flicked a flame from the tip of her finger.
“No,” Tierra said with enough force to draw everyone’s attention. “Don’t encourage her. Not when she’s still this weak.”
Shit. What to tell them next?
Us. Dru joined her and wrapped a possessive arm around her shoulders.
Yes. That. “Also, Dru and I pledged ourselves to each other forever.” She squeezed her eyes shut when voices erupted in the room.
“Son of a sasquatch taint,” Moira said, looking from Tierra to Claire. “What is it with y’all? You let someone slip the salami, and it’s all eternal vows and demon spawn. Couldn’t you wait for a hot minute and let someone throw you a damned bridal shower or something?”
“Spare me the fucking bridal showers,” Aerin muttered before pouring herself a steaming cup of coffee. “Or shoot me.”
Claire stared at everyone who’d now become her family. She’d stirred them up, and their words came at her like angry, buzzing bees. “That’s not all,” she said loud enough to be heard.
Dru turned to her with a quizzical look. There’s more?
“You said we shouldn’t keep secrets,” she said to Dru. “The she-bitch visited me while they held me captive. She offered me something she called a cyanide spell. She asked me to consider killing myself to save the world.”
“I’ll fucking kill her.” Dru strode toward the door.
Killian opened it. “I’ll help you.”
“Stop!” Nick commanded. “You’re going about this all wrong. Am I the only one who sees an opportunity here?”
“He’s right,” Julian said as he slid a hand down Aerin’s arm and she placed her hand over his. “Did she give you the spell?”
Claire frantically dove for her pocket. She’d stuffed it in there, but so much had happened since then. Still, the crumpled piece of paper waited for her at the bottom and she pulled it out.
“May I have a look?” Julian held out a hand.
“He’s quite studious,” Aerin said by way of encouragement.
Claire placed it in his hand, and they all waited silently for him to peruse it.
“Seems a straightforward suicide spell,” he concluded.
“For once La Reina of the damned tells the truth,” Killian said. “I don’t believe it.”
“If it’s a suicide spell, is there a way we can use it against her?” Claire slid her gaze to Dru. “Kind of like we did when I stole back my fire.”
“I haven’t forgotten that.” Dru’s grin promised no mercy.
“You started it,” she countered.
“Stop the flirting. This is serious shit.” Aerin glanced between them with an annoyed look. “Fucking newlyweds. Ugh.” She turned and smiled at Julian. “Tell us what else you know.”
“Normally, I’d say no, but she is in a weakened state. It might be possible.” He studied the paper for a few more moments. “The ingredients are all soluble, so if you could get her to drink it…”
“Can’t kill a duck by sittin’ on your ass.” Moira shot a look at Claire. “I say we do it.”
“No way.” Dru glared at all of them. “No fucking way. I just claimed Claire. I won’t lose her now.”
Claire gripped his hand. “I’m not afraid of her, Dru. After tonight, I know I’m a lot stronger than I was. If it doesn’t work on either of us, she’ll think I did the spell wrong. She’ll have no idea that we tried to use it against her.”
“How will you get La demon to come forward?” Tierra asked. “The guys have all said she’s in hiding.”
Nick smiled at Claire. “All you have to do is call her name. She wants this. She’ll come for you, Claire.”
****
Claire sat alone on the steps of Manresa Castle except for two crystal goblets and a bottle of the most expensive wine she’d pilfered from the castle’s extensive stock. A sliver of the blood-red moon hovered overhead, and she shivered under its watch.
She and her sisters had worked for a week to figure out a way to coat both glasses with the rubbery cyanide concoction in order to remove any suspicions Lucy might have about having one last drink with her. They’d needed several more days to work up a spell to protect Claire from the toxins, and another day to create something that looked similar to the product of the original cyanide spell.
Claire could hold the poison in her mouth as long as she wanted, but she couldn’t swallow. Dru had argued furiously, but in the end she, with the support of everyone else, had won.
The worst that could happen would be that Lucy would catch on, and Claire wouldn’t drink either. Or she could always spit it out. As an extra protective measure, she’d brought her wand and proudly wore her crown of fire. Also, her sisters and the Horsemen hid out upstairs, far enough away that Lucy wouldn’t fear them, but close enough to come running should she need help.
The fact that Dru could read her every thought was the only thing that finally convinced him.
“Lucy,” she whispered into the darkness. “I’m ready to do your bidding.”
She listened for any movement, but nothing but the breeze in the trees made noise.
“Lucifer,” she said in a louder voice. “I’m ready, but I can’t do this alone.” She dropped her head into her hands, pretending to be torn by her decision.
“Hello, lovely.” Lucy’s smooth voice came from the shadows along the edge of the castle. “I’m here to help.”
Claire did her best to look pensive. “I want to do this, but I can’t do it alone. I can’t ask my sisters. They wouldn’t understand. They’d try to talk me out of it.” She let her words ramble in a distraught fashion.
“Shh… Calm yourself.” Lucifer approached cautiously, scanning the perimeter. “That’s a beautiful crown you’re wearing.”
“A gift from my ancestors. One I shouldn’t have accepted. It’s made me even more powerful, and I can’t contain it. If I don’t do something now, I’m going to kill everyone I love.”
“Don’t worry.” Lucy sat next to her and patted her hand. “I understand. It’s what I’ve been trying to tell you all along. I’m not a mean person. My job is to punish those deserving it, and I certainly wouldn’t have chosen for you to die. But that’s just it. Someone chose you or one of your sisters. One life for many, you see.”
When Claire didn’t readily agree, Lucy continued. “I sense a warrior’s spirit in your heart, and I think you can understand that concept. Perhaps this is something you’ve learned from the massive amount of time you’ve spent with Dru.”
Panic spiked inside. Could she sense Dru’s essence inside her?
Claire swallowed and lifted the bottle of wine. “I want to go out in style. I brought my crown and the best of wines.”
“You do look very pretty.” Lucy gazed longingly at her ruby-encrusted crown.
“You can have it when I’m gone if you’d like.”
Lucy’s eyes sparkled. “Really? That is quite generous of you.”
“I don’t want it. Won’t need it.” Claire blinked several times as though holding back her tears. “Will you drink with me? One last exquisite taste of life on earth?”
The devil arched an almost perfect brow. “Do you have the cyanide pill?”
Claire opened her fist and held it out.
“My last spell,” she said wistfully.
“Your most important spell,” Lucy countered.
Claire lifted the bottle of wine she’d already opened and filled both glasses. She held one out for Lucy, and Lucy exchanged the cyanide pill for a glass.
“To mankind and the sanctity of Earth.” Lucy lifted her glass for a toast.
Claire held her gaze as she tapped Lucy’s glass with hers. “To mankind and earth.”
Lucy watched with suspicious eyes as Claire set the pill on her tongue. Before Claire could drink, Lucy took hold of Claire’s glass and pressed her own into Claire’s hand. “I hope you don’t mind. It’s nothing personal.”
Claire shrugged her shoulders as though it made no difference and lifted the cup to her lips. She took a small amount into her mouth and pretended to swallow. Lucy smiled and did the same.
“This is delight—” Lucy arched her neck and gasped before she turned her coal-black gaze to Claire, fear swirling in her eyes. Claire couldn’t move fast enough to avoid Lucy’s tackle. She hit the ground hard, spitting wine as she did, but the fizzle down her throat screamed that she’d hadn’t expelled it all in time.
Lucy hacked and pointed a threatening finger as she scrambled to her feet and ran, stumbling, into the night.
Claire grabbed her own throat as something akin to a fireball swelled within. She dashed up the steps and into the house, wanting to scream for help as everything inside her scorched with the force of a wildfire in a parched forest.
It burned.
Like she burned.
Clarity slapped her, killing her panic. She halted, closed her eyes and focused all her attention on the acid poisoning her system. She could burn hotter than it could. She didn’t know how, but she could.
When she felt she’d compiled enough pressure to expel it, she opened her mouth and blew the toxins from her body. Searing flames roared from her like an infuriated dragon. The force of it blew her backward toward the door as it morphed into a massive fireball that shook the castle walls when it exploded. A second later, another one detonated. Dust and chunks of debris fell from the ceiling.
Her excruciating screams rippled through the fire as the second floor collapsed onto the first.
“No!” She choked as smoke and flames swallowed the building. Her sisters were in there.
Dru. Everything she loved and lived for.
The Goddess could not be that cruel.
She gathered her strength, harnessing everything she had to extinguish the fire. With a prayer on her lips, she whispered words to kill the flames. A colossal fireball blasted into the night, battering her with a chunk of wood.
“Noooo!” Claire screamed through a parched throat, but the beloved old castle, with all inside, shuddered and crumbled to the ground.
****
Watch for the exciting conclusion to the Witches of Port Townsend series to be released October 2017.
****
About Kerrigan Byrne
Kerrigan Byrne's stories span the spectrum of romantic fiction from historical, to paranormal, to romantic suspense. She can always promise her reader one thing: memorable and sexy Celtic heroes who are guaranteed to heat your blood before they steal your heart.
Kerrigan lives at the base of the Rocky Mountains with her husband and his three lovely daughters. She's worked in Law Enforcement for the better part of a decade.
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About Tiffinie Helmer
USA Today Bestselling Author Tiffinie Helmer is always up for a gripping adventure. Raised in Alaska, she was dragged “Outside” by her husband, but escapes the lower forty-eight by spending her summers commercial fishing on the Bering Sea.
A mother of four, Tiffinie divides her time between enjoying her family, throwing her acclaimed pottery, and writing of flawed characters in unique and severe situations.
Connect with her online at:
www.tiffiniehelmer.com
About Cynthia St. Aubin
Cynthia St. Aubin wrote her first play at age eight and made her brothers perform it for the admission price of gum wrappers. A steal, considering she provided the wrappers in advance. Though her early work debuted to mixed reviews, she never quite gave up on the writing thing, even while earning a mostly useless master's degree in art history and taking her turn as a cube monkey in the corporate warren.
Because the voices in her head kept talking to her, and they discourage drinking at work, she started writing instead. When she's not standing in front of the fridge eating cheese, she's hard at work figuring out which mythological, art historical, or paranormal friends to play with next. She lives in Colorado with the love of her life and three surly cats.
Cynthia loves to hear from her readers.
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About Cindy Stark
Cindy Stark lives with her family and an adorable Border Collie in a small town shadowed by the Rocky Mountains. She loves to pen emotional romantic suspense, sexy contemporary romance, and sizzling paranormal stories.
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Table of Contents
Dedication
The Witches of Port Townsend
Aerin
Tierra
Moira
Claire
About Kerrigan Byrne
About Tiffinie Helmer
About Cynthia St. Aubin
About Cindy Stark
Which Witch is Wild? (The Witches of Port Townsend Book 3) Page 32
