by Quinn Loftis
“Witches?” Tara coughed. “Honest to goodness witches with black pointy hats?”
“Their hats are sort of badass,” Shelly said.
“Shelly,” Gabby called out.
“Yep,” the blonde replied.
“We cannot be friends if you start wearing pointy hats. Just want you to know that.”
“Roger that,” Shelly said. “I’ll come up with some better uniform for us.”
Tara and Gabby groaned at the same time.
“Let’s just try and live through this and worry about so-called uniforms later,” Tara suggested.
“Is that everyone?” Liam asked as they waited to see if anyone else was going to come through the portal. A minute later, a male appeared.
“Tucker?” Tara gasped at the same time that Elias let out a string of curses. Tara was surprised to see him, considering the last time she had, he’d been tossing her best friend to another acolyte who had then thrown Shelly into hell.
Tucker’s eyes found Tara’s immediately, and Gabby could tell in his greedy gaze he was obsessed with the girl.
“I take it he needs to die?” Gabby asked.
“I’ll be the one to kill him,” Elias growled. “He’s mine.”
Shelly laughed, and it sounded so wicked Gabby turned to look at her. “British boy is going to make you his bi-i-itch,” Shelly called out to Tucker, singing the last word.
“That’s good,” Gabby said, shaking her head. “Taunt the guy who’s standing next to a row of witches and a demon.”
The portal finally disappeared, and all the elementalists seemed to let out a collective sigh.
“I think we outnumber them at least,” Shelly said.
Then two more dragons came soaring out of the open portal to the dragon realm.
“I take it back. We totally don’t outnumber them,” the blonde yelled as the flames on her hands increased.
“Holy pixie babies. There’s another one coming through.” Tara gasped.
Gabby saw the pulsing of the portal and knew Tara was right. But this time, when the dragon came through, it was not accompanied by another dragon, but something or someone else.
“Is that a chick riding a dragon?” Shelly asked, sounding as in awe as Gabby felt.
The dragon and its rider swooped over the boulder giants and flew around them in a tight circle. She looked down at the clearing, her eyes narrowed as if she was looking for someone.
Aston suddenly cried out, and Gabby turned to see him clutching at his chest.
Gabby went to help him, but a scream of rage caused her to throw her hands up.
“DO NOT TOUCH HIM,” a female voice roared.
Gabby and the others looked up to the sky to see the dragon rider hovering above them. She was glaring daggers at Gabby, and if looks could kill, Gabby would be pushing up daisies.
Liam suddenly pushed her behind him, his hands going up as he sent out a pulse of blue power at the dragon. The beast darted to the right, moving much too fast for an animal that size.
“Don’t,” Aston said, his voice loud but weak. “Don’t hurt her.”
“What?” Liam snapped at his friend.
Aston looked straight at Liam, and his eyes were so pale they were almost white. “Do not hurt her.”
Gabby realized what was going on the minute the other guys groaned.
“She’s yours, isn’t she?” Liam asked.
Aston nodded as he looked up at the female sitting on the dragon, her eyes staring back at him intensely.
“She’s mine.”
The words were barely out of his mouth when all hell broke loose.
Chapter 19
“Why the hell isn’t it working?” Osiris roared at the trembling demon at his feet.
“I don’t know, my lord,” Crescious sputtered. “She said this was all we needed.”
“She bloody lied.” The lord of the underworld huffed as he paced back and forth in front of the warded entrance to Dolion’s chamber. The book he needed to free the light royal elementals was just out of his reach, and he was not used to being denied what he wanted. He’d already given up the bride he’d decided he wanted, which made him pissy. Add that to the fact that one of his demi-lords was trying to take control of Osiris’s demons, and he moved from pissy straight to homicidal.
“Where is the witch who gave you this spell?” Osiris asked Crescious as he held up the folded paper.
“I’ll take you to her,” Crescious said immediately.
Osiris grabbed the demon by the scruff of the neck, snatched the memory from him, and followed it to the Blackhorn coven.
When he appeared in the manor, a woman screamed and threw up her hands. Osiris knocked the spell away with the flip of his wrist.
“Where is your priestess?” he snapped at her as he held out his hand. Her body instantly flew toward him until he had his fingers around her throat.
“Wh-wh-who are you?” the woman stuttered out as her body shook with fear.
The dark magic in her no doubt recognized his own and also recognized that he was not just dark but the complete absence of light.
Osiris’s lips turned up in a smile, and he didn’t hide his sharp teeth. “I’m the lord of all the demons you witches like to play with. You didn’t honestly think there wouldn’t be consequences to your meddling, did you?”
“W-w- I, it’s…”
Her stuttering got on his nerves.
“Damn woman, take a breath and get your bloody wits about you. Where is your coven’s priestess?”
The woman blinked several times and then seemed to compose herself, at least a little. “She’s gone.”
“Gone as in dead? Because I’m pretty sure I would have met her when her soul came to play with me.”
The witch grabbed at his hand, and he realized she was turning blue. Osiris loosened his hold.
“The demon, Dolion, was here and took her with him,” she said.
Osiris cursed. That meant the battle had begun.
“Why isn’t this spell working?” he asked as he held up the piece of paper.
Her eyes roamed over it as she read. Then she looked at him. “Did you get the blood you needed for the spell?”
“I had the witch’s blood and the demon’s who conjured the spell I’m trying to break. Why the hell isn’t it working?” He repeated his earlier sentiment though she couldn’t have known that it was the twentieth time he’d asked it. His patience was seriously running thin.
“That is a written copy of the spell, yes?” the witch asked.
“How the hell am I supposed to know?” Osiris snapped. “My demon brought it. Crescious,” he yelled. The little demon scuttled around to face him.
“Did she write this spell?”
“Yes, my lord. She got it out of a book, in that cabinet,” he pointed to the cabinet behind the witch.
“May I?” the woman asked as she reached for the piece of paper.
Osiris narrowed his eyes on her. “If you try any of your witchy shit I will rip your soul from your body.”
She nodded her head, and he released her and handed her the paper.
She hurried to the cabinet, unlocked it, and pulled out the book. It only took a few seconds of page-flipping before she found the one she wanted. The witch ran her fingers across the page as she looked back and forth from the book to the piece of paper Osiris had given her.
Finally, after what felt like an hour later, she picked up a pen, marked some things out, and then wrote different words in their place. The witch held the paper out to him.
“She’d written two words wrong.”
Osiris growled. “She deliberately made the mistake.”
“I can’t be certain of that,” the woman said, her voice quavering under his anger. “The words are very close in spelling so it could have been an honest mistake.”
Osiris didn’t have time to call bullshit on the woman. He had to get the royals free.
He snapped his fingers, and Crescious hurried to his side.
He took the demon by the nape of the neck, and in the blink of an eye, they were back in front of Dolion’s chamber.
Osiris looked at the paper and read it out loud. He’d already placed the blood on the wall. Now, the spell had better work. As he finished up the words, he felt a shudder run through the ground and then he heard a popping sound.
“Open,” he growled, and just like that, the door that had been hidden behind the ward slid open to reveal Dolion’s chamber.
Osiris’s eyes skimmed over the room until they landed on a leather-bound book lying on the floor.
Crescious hurried over and grabbed it. He handed it to Osiris with a bowed head. Smart demon. Osiris was ready to make heads roll, and Crescious’s would do just fine for a start.
The lord of the underworld led them both to the chamber where the royals were imprisoned. He placed his hand on the wall and could feel their power behind it. The spell containing them and concealing them from him was powerful. The witch who had given it to Dolion would die, and her spell would die with her.
Osiris opened the book and held it out to Crescious. “Where is the spell?”
Crescious turned the pages and then pointed to one written in the demon tongue.
Osiris glared at it as if it had somehow insulted him. He really shouldn’t be surprised by anything anymore, but then ever since a blonde human girl had ended up in his domain and then gotten away scot-free, life seemed to have become interesting.
He used a clawed finger to slit his hand, then he rubbed his blood across the wall. Like a dark magic spell, it would no doubt require a blood sacrifice.
Then he began to speak the words. This time it wasn’t just the ground that shook. The walls around them trembled, and there was a loud roar before the wall in front of him crumbled to the ground.
He snapped the book closed and held it down to Crescious. “Destroy this.”
“Yes, my lord,” the demon squeaked and then disappeared.
Osiris stared at the wide eyes of the four captive royal elementals. Normally, he would have taken time to gloat over the fact that they’d been captured, but he didn’t have time. The gates to hell could be on their way to being opened and that was something he could not allow.
“Why is she like that?” Osiris asked as he pointed to the light earth queen. She was lying across her mate’s lap, her body trembling, and her lids moving rapidly.
“She’s been in hell for who knows how long,” Agni, the light fire queen snapped.
“I see you still have anger issues,” Osiris said to her with a toothy grin.
“Why did you take us, Osiris?” Agni asked, ignoring his dig.
Osiris’s smile dropped. “I didn’t take you,” he seethed. “I have a demon who has gotten too big for his horns.”
“Dolion,” Beval, the light air king muttered through gritted teeth.
“Exactly,” Osiris agreed. “As much as I’d love to discuss with you all the ways I’d like to rip his entrails from his body, we don’t have time. Dolion is planning on opening the gates of hell. I promised your mates I would free you in exchange for their help in banishing him.”
When none of them moved, he snarled. “That means get the hell up and let’s go!”
Beaumont, the Earth Elemental King stood with his mate, Dhara in his arms, the worry and anger on his face aimed at Osiris. “Dolion might have done this, but you’re the one responsible. Hell is your domain as much as the human realm is ours. You should have kept your demons in check.”
Osiris wanted to snarl back at the king, but he couldn’t because Beaumont was right.
“Where are we going?” Ecthelion, the water king asked.
“First, we go topside,” Osiris said. “When I get a read on where Dolion is, I’ll take us there.”
“Usually we’d be able to call to our mates,” Agni said, as anger danced in her bright red eyes. “But our power has been significantly drained.”
“And you have my apologies. For now. At least until you royals get on my nerves again.” He winked at her and then, with a thought, took them all to the surface of the earth.
Osiris focused on the energy signature of his demons roaming the earth, searching for Dolion. As soon as he locked on to it, he smirked. “Gotcha.” In the next instant, he and the four royals were standing in the Devil's Heart, in the Hoia Forest, with a battle raging around them.
“I suggest you four power up quickly, or we’re all going to die,” Osiris said as he tried to find Dolion.
“That’s a fantastic pep talk,” Agni sneered. “It’s no wonder your demons are so loyal.”
“Agni!” Osiris turned and saw Aviur, the royal fire queen's mate, fighting the dark fire king as he looked at his queen.
“I’m here, my love,” Agni called back as she headed for him. “Once again, I’m going to save your ass.”
Osiris couldn’t help but chuckle. He’d always secretly liked the light royal fire queen.
His eyes roamed around the battlefield and stopped when they landed on the blonde female who’d found her way to his domain. She was still as beautiful as she’d been when he’d first seen her. Even if she appeared a little shell-shocked.
Ra, her mate, stood next to her, and they were looking up to the sky. Osiris followed their stare and saw a huge dragon hovering over them. He shook his head as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Bloody dragons.”
“I’m surprised you’ve shown your face, my lord,” Dolion’s voice came from behind him.
Osiris whipped around and faced the demon. The rage caused by seeing his treacherous minions made him want to shed his human appearance, allowing his true form to come out. “Why is that?”
“Because you should be hiding in shame,” Dolion spat. “One of your own has managed to overpower you. You are not lord of anything.”
Osiris smiled. “That right there is why you are going to lose this battle, demi-lord. You think you’ve overpowered me when all you’ve really managed to do is temporarily pull the wool over my eyes.” His smile widened. “All I had to do was simply pull it back.” Then he lunged for the demon who dared to take over what was his rightful domain.
Gabby stood frozen as she stared up at the dragon. But she wasn’t sure if it was the beast that paralyzed her or the fact that a girl was riding the monster as if she’d somehow tamed it.
Power radiated through the clearing as the elementals and elementalists fired their magic at each other, all determined to destroy their enemies.
Gabby wanted to look around to see how she could help, but she couldn’t take her eyes off of the dragon. It was almost close enough to touch.
“What do you want?” Tara yelled up at the dragon girl.
The girl didn’t even acknowledge Tara’s words. One second, she was sitting on her hovering dragon, looking super badass, and the next she was swooping downward. The dragon’s claws opened and wrapped around Aston, picking him up in a surprisingly gentle manner. Then the dragon flew away with the girl on its back and Aston in its clutches.
“Did we just let that bitch take Aston?” Shelly asked.
All Gabby could do was nod. They’d all been frozen, whether in shock or fear or both, but none of them had moved, not even Ra, which was surprising.
“Why didn’t we move?” Gabby asked no one in particular.
“Because we couldn’t,” Ra said, his voice a deep rumble filled with anger.
“What?” Liam asked as he placed a hand on Gabby’s face, his eyes asking if she was okay. Gabby nodded to reassure him
“She’s a witch,” Ra said. “She put a spell on us. She’s powerful. I didn’t even notice it until I tried to move and couldn’t.”
Elias started to say something, but then he dove to push Tara out of the way as a bolt of power flew past them. They’d managed to be distracted from the battle raging around them.
“We’ve got to get Aston back,” Liam said, “but we can’t do that until we deal with this.” He pointed to the warriors, professors, eleme
ntalists, and elementals battling the witches, dark royals, demons, and acolytes that had apparently shown up at some point while they’d been dragon-struck.
Another bolt of power zipped toward Elias, and Ra threw out his hand, fire shooting from it and stopping the magical projectile that had been about to hit Elias. They all turned and looked to see who was shooting at Tara’s soul bonded. Gabby didn’t recognize him, but apparently Shelly and Tara did because they spoke at the same time.
“Tucker,” they both growled his name.
“Who’s Tucker?” Gabby whispered to Liam, who was standing partly in front of her. It was cute he thought he was going to protect her.
“The dude who had Shelly thrown into hell,” Liam answered.
“Ahh,” Gabby said with a nod. “So, he needs to die.”
Shelly turned and grinned at her. “I knew you were going to be the perfect addition to our girl posse.”
“Less talking, Shell, and more fighting,” Gabby said as she took off at a dead run toward this new foe. She was itching for a fight and sick of standing on the sidelines.
“That woman’s going to be the death of me,” she heard Liam yell as he chased after her.
Tucker’s eyes widened as he realized he’d bitten off more than he could chew. Elias came around his left, and Ra was on the right. Liam, Gabby, Tara, and Shelly came straight at him. They threw elemental projectiles at Tucker, but he brought up a wall of water that completely encircled him.
“I just want Tara,” he called out through the water shield. “Give her to me and you can all walk away alive. I’ll make sure of it.”
“I just want every day to be a great hair day, but guess what, Tucker?” Shelly snarled at him. “We don’t always get what we freaking want!”
Gabby pushed out a steady stream of fire, trying to break through the water shield. Ra did the same thing, and then Shelly caught on and she added her own fire. Gabby was impressed at how quickly Shelly was learning how to use her new power. Ra was probably a big part of that, but the girl seemed to have completely embraced her new life, and that made Gabby like her even more. Great, she thought to herself, she was rocking a girl crush.
