by J. L. Weil
I scoffed. How dare he come to my house and order me about. “I don’t want to hear anything you have to say.” Asshole. I spun on my heel with every intention of leaving him to eat my dust. I only got one step before a hand grabbed my arm.
“Brianna,” he said, spinning me back around to face him. He kept his hand glued to my arm, preventing him from the escape I sought. “Just wait.”
But the thing was, I didn’t want to wait. I wanted nothing from him. I wanted to be far away from him until I could get myself under control and form an intelligent thought. I grimaced. “Let go of me.”
His face was forbidding. “Not until you agree to give me a chance to explain myself.”
I jerked my arm free. “You don’t deserve the time of day.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose. “You sound like a crazy person.”
Did he just call me crazy? I’ll show him every color of crazy. “That is rich, coming from you.”
“You and I. We’re the same.”
My stomach soured. “I am nothing like you,” I spat, but deep down, I was afraid that I was worse than Lukas. He might not be who I believed he was, but I knew who I was. The realization that maybe we were alike in some aspects turned my stomach, but that didn’t mean I was going to give Lukas the pleasure of admitting it, especially after he betrayed me.
He was damn lucky I didn’t fry his ass here and now, because I felt the familiar pull—the one that whispered in my ear. Urging me to take—to feed the darkness—satisfy this craving. The fact that we were talking at all was a miracle, since my first instinct was to cause him bodily harm.
He stepped forward invading my personal bubble. “I never pegged you for a liar.”
I quenched the impulse to back up, not wanting him to think he was intimidating me, which was exactly what he wanted. “I guess there is a lot we don’t know about each other.”
“I thought you understood. I love you, Brianna. It was the only way I could get you to stand up, to show them you wouldn’t be cast aside. All I did was force your hand a little. I did it for us.”
Dumbstruck, I just stared at him. He was shitting me, right? Putting a massive spotlight on my head was helping me? “What you did to me was not out of love,” I said flatly. “You put me in danger, Lukas—life-threatening, never-ending danger.”
“But I knew that you would be able to handle it—we could handle it. You have the kind of power that is limitless, and others need to know that you won’t live your life in fear. Why should you hide who you are? They have no right to decide your fate.”
His reasoning was horseshit. How was it any different than those trying to zap me into orbit? I wasn’t about to go in, gung-ho with guns blazing, and demand everyone pledge their allegiance to me or else… “That is not what I want. You knew that. I barely had gotten used to the idea of being a witch. Lukas, using that kind of power is dangerous, and it changes you, forever.”
“Dark magic isn’t evil. It is stronger. Potent. Pure. People are naturally afraid of what they can’t control.”
Uh. I beg to differ. Everyone knew that white magic trumped black magic, ten out of ten times. Apparently Lukas had drunk the cuckoo Kool-Aid.
I shot him a level look. “If you were really my friend, you never would have put me such a position or tried to make into something I’m not. I don’t want to use my gifts to make people fear me. I don’t want supreme control. I don’t want people thinking that I am better than they are. I want to be treated as an equal.”
He looked crestfallen. “But you aren’t,” he argued. “You are so much more. We are so much more. Together, we are unstoppable.” The tips of his fingers began to spark with magic.
Just great. Lukas was on a power trip. “There is no we,” I insisted.
Static crackled under my shirt. If I had to, I would defend myself, but I didn’t want to hurt him. And that fear was all too real, because I knew that I was capable of doing worse than just hurting him as he had hurt me. I could destroy him. And in the process, probably destroy myself. There was a good chance that if I used that kind of dark magic again, it would tip me over the edge—the point of no return. My poor soul could only handle so much darkness, and after my last talk with Sophie, I wasn’t very optimistic.
“I will have you, Brianna. You were meant to be mine. If you just give us a chance, I know that you will feel it too.”
Not likely.
“I’ve already given myself to someone else,” I said, crossing my fingers. They sooner he got that through his thick skull, the sooner I could skedaddle.
“You weren’t supposed to fall for that douchebag. You are mine,” Lukas growled.
Warning, my internal “oh shit” alarm went off. I needed to send out a SOS. I had a sinking feeling about this. There was no one around and essentially I was so screwed that it wasn’t even funny. “But I did fall for Gavin. I love him, Lukas.”
Green rage flashed into his irises. “That guy is such a putz.”
Something told me that I needed to tread lightly. We were strolling into dangerous territory, and Lukas was unstable, quickly shifting toward the point of no return. One wrong move, one slip of the tongue, and he would turn on me. My body trembled with certainty. I guess a witch knew when another was threatening her. The sizzle of magic might have been a dead giveaway.
I needed distance. As slowly as possible, I started to take tiny steps backward, all while trying to keep Lukas focused on my face, not my movements. Obviously mentioning Gavin enraged him, so I needed to steer this conversation to safer ground. “Why are you doing this?” I didn’t try to hide the quiver from my voice, thinking if he knew that he was frightening me, he would back down.
Yeah. It backfired.
A twisted smile curved on his lips. “I want power. And with you at my side, there wouldn’t be a witch around stupid enough to mess with us.” His greed hung heavy in the air.
For the first time, I saw Lukas in a new light—and it was a frightening image. Gone was the smoke of charm he hid behind, and in its place was something truly terrifying. My stomach clenched up in knots. “Let me get this straight. You want me to let the darkness consume my soul?” Sounded like a suicide mission.
He cocked his head. “Like I said, we’re two peas in a pod. I know that you like the taste of power—the high it gives after you’ve squeezed a witch dry.”
We were day and night. Light to dark. I might be capable of both, but I choose light. The aftereffects of being a clàr silte were alluring—they were downright addicting, but the consequences were more than I was willing to wager. “You are out of your freaking gourd.”
Crap.
Did I say that out loud?
That would be a big fat affirmative. I might have just fed the beast, because there was nothing human about the way Lukas was glaring at me. My heart threw itself against my ribs so hard it hurt. If I could just get close enough to the house I might be able to make it inside, but a quick peek from the corner of my eye told me I’d never make it.
“That wasn’t very nice,” he growled.
Screw this.
I ran, my flight response kicking in. It was human nature to run away from danger. And Lukas was flipping oozing the black stuff.
But I didn’t get far. With a low snarl, his had hand shot out, grabbing my hair and yanked. “That was a bad move,” he warned in my ear.
I’ll say.
Emerald eyes glowing like some kind of cracked-out demon, he spun me to face him, and I seared him with a shut-up-or-die look. “I won’t give you what you want,” I said, my teeth clenched.
His fingers dug into my arms, and I winced. The worst part was, I felt his desire for me—lust— like sweaty palms on my skin. Revulsion swept through me, rising up to the back of my throat. But it was my gift he coveted more than my body, I was certain. He didn’t love me…he loved power.
The storm I had just barely begun to weave started to take life. Born from my fear and my rage, winds howled around me, dar
kening the sky to a dusty gray. Sooty clouds took shape in wrathful forms. Violent thunder cracked, trembling the ground at my feet. Bolts of lightning speared above our heads, brightly flashing in fury.
“I always knew you were a hothead,” he taunted.
I had on my rage face. “If you don’t let me go, I will shove a broomstick up your ass. Don’t test me.”
“It’s that fire I want. It is why you are my perfect match.” He shook me, rattling brain matter.
I threw up a little in my mouth.
“I want it all. Your body. Your soul. Your magic.”
Dry lightning fissured around us, and storm clouds gathered not only in the skies but also in my eyes. Hoping I knew what the hell I was doing, I closed my eyes and sent a bolt of light at his feet. He jumped, just as I hoped, and it was the distraction I banked on. With a jerk, I was able to break out of his hold and put distance between the lunatic and me. “This is your last chance. I’m warning you, Lukas. Leave now, before things get messy.”
I saw the choice in his eyes and my heart plummeted. “I enjoy getting dirty.”
I just bet he did.
So be it.
It was time for the showdown of the century. Lukas and I—a battle of wills. May the best witch remain standing.
I just prayed that witch was me.
He gave me no warning. I blinked, and in the split hair of a second, he threw a ball of neon energy with blinding force. Before my eyes, I watched the mesmerizing light break apart into millions of shimmering dots. As pretty as it was, I knew that those dots were lethal. No friendly fire.
A scream lodged into my throat that would have made a banshee proud. At the last second, before I became a magical pincushion, I cast what I prayed to God was a shield, and then just in case, I turned, covering my arms over my face and braced myself.
He laughed. It was a troubling sound. “See what you are capable of, with your back pushed to the wall?”
I didn’t die after all. The winds tangled my hair. My turn, asshole. “Maybe you’re right,” I muttered. Magic thrummed through my veins, and I took my best shot. It was measly at most. Fighting wasn’t my forte, but slurping magic like a cherry slushy was right up my alley.
I was out of my league going toe-to-toe with Lukas, but he didn’t give me a choice. Strands of a purplish glow shot from my fingertips, sailing at him. I had no idea what it would do if it actually hit him. It could melt his flesh or turn him into a blue-spotted leopard for all I knew. But it was a fruitless effort. He squashed my spell like faerie dust with just a closing of his fist.
Frustration growled inside me. I opened my mouth to tell him to stop this nonsense and felt an invisible slap across my cheeks. My head lobbed to the side, and I stumbled. Black spots darkened my vision. There was no time to even catch my breath. Ribbons of magic folded me in a cage, tightening around my neck and stomach. Within seconds my windpipes were struggling for air. My hands flew to my neck, trying to rid the energy that was squeezing the life out of me. Wide-eyed, I realized that I wasn’t the only clàr silte out there.
Lukas was stealing my power.
I gasped, but no sound came out.
“I crave what you have. And I am insatiable,” he whispered in my ear.
He was getting what he wanted after all—my magic. And there was not a damn thing I could do about it. Lukas made me his bitch. There was nothing pleasant or euphoric about having my power ripped from me. It felt as if he was carving out pieces of my internal organs, and then tearing them from my body. The pain brought me to my knees and tears filled my bright eyes.
I might have given up right then and there if it hadn’t been for a familiar voice that sounded in my head. Don’t just sit there and take it like you don’t have a backbone. Fight back.
Morgana.
I don’t know how she was able to get in my head, and I long since stopped questioning how she did anything. Hearing her snarky voice filled me with relief. I wasn’t alone.
You are tougher than he is. Your bloodline is stronger. Now get to your feet. Push back your fear and focus on the source that gives you power. Don’t let him take what is yours by birthright.
She gave me the shove I needed, the spark of fight. I did as told and pushed against the bonds that held clutched me. On my feet, my legs wobbled like a baby doe, my body weakened and imprisoned from his spell. But little good any of it did me. No sooner did I have both feet on the ground, when my knees buckled, sending me back down. Defeat raced through me, squashing the shred of hope Morgana’s presence had instilled.
About damn time, I heard her grumble in my head.
I had exhausted all my energy. Whatever had her all fired up was at the very bottom of my shit-I-should-be-concerned-about list.
Then I felt it—the tingles of another witch. Lifting my head, the tattoo at my back hummed with recognition.
Gavin.
Chapter 23
“Bri!” he yelled.
I heard my name in the distance. It was washed out by the roaring in my head and Morgana’s voice coaxing me not to give up. I wasn’t the only one startled by Gavin’s appearance. Lukas actually looked horror-struck.
Gavin hit him like a freaking NFL linebacker, knocking them both to the ground. They rolled, severing the link he had on my energy. I sucked in a sharp breath of invigorating air and coughed. My entire body was still radiating with magic and relief. He hadn’t been able to wipe me clean. No surprise, since I had an excessive amount. There was a little of Gavin flowing through my veins and all of Lotus. I had more than enough to go around, which made me all that more dangerous. In theory.
Sucking every last drop of my magic was going to be difficult, and no way in hell was I going to lie down and make it a cinch for him. Not an option. But now that Gavin was here and in the line of fire, it changed the rules. And Lukas was playing a game without rules.
Their forms swirled crazy fast, combining the colored lights of magic with punches. It was unnatural the way they fought each other. My blurred vision and labored breathing only made it that much harder to keep track of their movements, spiking my fear.
Lukas’ head jerked to the side when Gavin’s fist hit him in the jaw. And so the beat down ensued. They took turns pummeling each other as I tried to regain my strength. I could barely wrap my head around what was happening. It still seemed so unreal, like I was dreaming, and any minute I would wake. But the pain in my chest was all too real, and the blood gushing from the side of Gavin’s temple was not a figment of my imagination.
My worst fear came true. Lukas kicked Gavin in the back of the shin, sending Gavin to the floor. Then Lukas pounced, securing him with invisible bonds as he had done me. I scrambled to feet, ignoring the way my head spun.
With a sadistic twist of his lips, Lukas’s eyes flicked to mine. I let a startled gasp. His green irises illuminated in a ruthless chill. “Don’t do this—” I pleaded, but before I could get the words out, Lukas tossed me like a beanbag.
What a colossal asshole.
Apparently I was nothing but baggage in his way to get what he truly wanted. The knowledge hurt almost as my landing. I crashed to the ground with such a jarring impact that my teeth shook. Gavin’s growl bellowed over the surging storm, breaking the binds that held him. With his hands free, he threw a flaming ball at Lukas’s chest, but the sly devil was able to step back at just the last second. Fire exploded at his feet. How long could the three of us tear into each other? I never in a gazillion years thought my life would come to this.
My boyfriend.
Me.
And the guy I’d known most of my life.
Fighting on opposing sides. My judgment of character was seriously deranged. How had I let Lukas fool me for so long? He was unhinged, and frankly, he scared the ever-loving crap out of me.
One wrong move and it was all over.
Hasta la vista baby.
Do something before he makes mincemeat out of your boyfriend, Morgana goaded in my head. Or worse.
/>
I had forgotten about her. The “or worse” stopped my heart. Instinct propelled me into action. I might have been a little slow on the uptake, but I shot to my feet. On sturdier feet, I shoved my ratty hair out of my face. The storm above me was still aggressive, moving in a whirlwind around me. I reigned in the winds, allowing me to get a clearer sight of the two of them.
“Bri, run! Get out of here,” Gavin yelled, taking a hit to his left shoulder.
And leave him? Not on his life. “I can’t,” I snapped, suddenly fighting angry tears. Drops of rain started to pelt from the sky. Seeing him with blood on his lip, swollen knuckles, and the determination of a mule, I was on the verge of losing my shit.
Gavin ducked. “You have a choice to make, Bri. Make it now,” he prodded, dodging yet another beam of blazing gunk.
Tears blinded me, but I blinked them away. He was right. I threw my arms out on either side of me, and power rippled in the air surrounding me. If I didn’t do this, Lukas was going to rip the magic from not only me, but also Gavin. If I did, then there was no going back. The darkness would increase tenfold, and the desire for more would triple. My soul for Gavin’s life…
Because I was sure that Lukas was out for blood and playing for keeps.
It seemed like a fair trade in the heat of the moment. Unlike Lukas, I didn’t enjoy the daunting task or look forward to the agony I was about to cause. Don’t be a wuss, I ordered myself. “I’m sorry,” I choked, no longer fighting the tears. And then I let the power gather inside me, ready to unleash at my command.
Gavin saw the decision in my face. Understanding and regret swam in his eyes. He would save me from this formidable deed if he could. I watched as he struggled with his need to protect me and my soul. We both knew there was no other way. I had to stop Lukas—not just today, but any future attempts as well—and this was the only way I knew how.
Now that I had made the choice, the witch inside was in a hurry to get it over with. I stepped forward.
Lukas’s dark green eyes drifted over me suddenly, looking like the boy in my dreams. “Brianna. Don’t. What I did, I did for your own good. You can’t handle your powers.”
