by Kim Loraine
My phone rings and I head across the room to grab it off the charger. "Hello?"
"Hel, Jesus and all the saints, are you seriously expecting us to just drop everything and go with a fallen angel?" Izzy's voice holds nothing but irritation. "You could've called to warn us."
"I'm sorry, I was a little busy, what with the revelation that Calista is the new leader of Hell and Paris got turned into a demon and is after me."
"Paris? Wait, that Paris?"
"No, Paris bloody Hilton. Yes, of course that Paris." I can't keep the exasperation from my voice. We don't have time for this. I need to get them here and take measures of further protection for myself and them. Then, once we are able to have the element of surprise, we attack.
"Well, how was I to know?"
I can hear Gwen murmuring in the background. "Let me talk to Gwen. You're being ridiculous."
She huffs, but soon enough, the shuffle of the phone changing hands tells me Izzy is done arguing. "I haven't seen this," Gwen says by way of greeting. "I can't see you at all. Your future is blank, Helena."
"It's the curse. I've only got a few more days."
"Tamiel has been restored…nearly completely."
"He has." That makes my chest ache as I remember the truth of my future. Even if I survive, I lose him.
"And he's bringing us to you, truly? He may have helped us in the past, but you can understand our reticence. He's fallen and until recently, he's been a servant only to himself."
"I need you." Emotion clogs my throat making my words tight. "I've been wrong to stay away from the two of you, but if you'd seen what I have…"
"I understand. We'll be there soon. You don't have to do anything alone."
"Thank—" my words cut off when Tamiel appears in front of me with my sisters holding his hands and Grant standing behind them, his hand gripping my angel's forearm.
Tamiel is luminous, his wings spread and emanating a gold glow from around the translucent feathers. But it's his face that does it for me. His expression says he's whole, he's who he was meant to be. Having his wings returned is the same as a blind man having sight again. It's a gift he never thought he'd receive and I can't take that from him. I'll have to let him go when this is over. He needs to be Tamiel the angel even if that means he can't be mine.
Gwen's gaze locks on mine, and she nods as though she's read my thoughts. Am I really that transparent?
"Love, what's wrong?" Tamiel releases their hands and his wings fold in and disappear. He steps forward and cups my cheek, the gesture causing both of my sisters to frown and stare in confusion.
Apparently, I've lost my ability to school my expressions. Bugger. Bracing myself on the inside, I shake off the looming dread and force myself to back away from his touch. "Nothing. We're just wasting time standing around. And it smells like dog in here now," I say, deflecting my emotion by getting a dig in on Grant.
"If you want, witch, I can take my family back to our home. I'll gladly keep Izzy out of harm's way." Grant's words are light and teasing, but I feel the truth behind them as well. He's got more at stake than any of us because if we fail, he loses his love and his child.
Guilt hits me square in the chest. Can I really take them with me to battle? No. I can't. "If we do this right, Izzy won't ever have to leave this apartment."
"I'm not sending you after Calista alone, that's ridiculous." Izzy cocks her hip and frowns. "Grant's alpha side has really reared its head since we found out about the baby, but I'm stronger than I've ever been. You've got my wolf on your side as well as the witch."
"Won't shifting hurt the baby?" I ask.
She looks at her mate and he nods. "Bloody fantastic," she mutters. "You're telling me I have to wait a full nine months before I can let my wolf out to play?"
"It'll be worth it, mo leannan."
A wistful smile curls her lips and I know Grant's won this round. "It will." Then she looks back at me. "So, what do you need us for if you won't let us go with you?"
"I need two things. A cloaking spell, and your power."
Gwen's shoulders stiffen. "Our…power?"
"Yes. This," I say, pulling out the black moonstone. "This is the only way I'm going to be able to beat Calista."
"Oh, Helena. That thing is dangerous. I thought you had put it away until we truly knew what to do with it, or if we even needed to use it."
"But I do know. I'm more powerful with it, and I've been able to have visions because of the stone." I have to repress a shudder at the thought of how vivid and terrifying those visions have been. "I need this power if we're going to end this."
"Well, you can't have my magic, and you're daft if you think I'll even consider giving it to you," Izzy butts in with complete disbelief in her tone. "You want to put our magic in the very stone Calista hopes to imprison us inside. Do you see how crazy and stupid that sounds?"
"It's no more stupid than a pregnant woman charging into battle. I can do this, but I need you to help me have enough power."
"First thing's first," she says. "Protection."
I know it's not going to be that easy, but I've no clue how to tell them.
Tamiel
There's nothing more captivating than watching a coven of witches as they weave a spell. And these three, they're more powerful than most. If it weren't for Calista, there'd be no witch left on earth who could come against all three and survive.
"Izzy's magic has been erratic since we found out about the bairn," Grant says under his breath as the two of us stand aside and let them work.
That makes me nervous. What if something goes wrong and this doesn't work? "How so?"
He shakes his head and frowns. "It's like…power surges. She'll be totally normal until she's overloaded and has to send the excess magic into the nearest inanimate object. We've had to replace most of our living room furniture."
"Maybe that can work to our benefit for this spell."
A shrug lifts his broad shoulders. "As long as it doesn't backfire. She won't admit it's a problem."
"Sometimes these women don't see what's right in front of them. I'd think they were truly blood relatives if I didn't know better."
He lets out a soft chuckle and shoves his hands in his pockets. "Quite right."
The air in the room grows thick with the electric tension that only comes from heavy magic as the three witches link hands and begin to chant softly in unison. The lights dim and a slight wind sweeps through the room, raising their hair to swirl around their faces. If Grant is anything like me, he's focused on his woman, I know I can't look away from Helena. Her eyes blaze with determination as the intensity behind their words grows stronger and the spell winds in the center of their circle.
"There it is," Grant says, mostly to himself.
He's right. The faint golden light in the middle of the space rises until it's above them all, growing larger as the spell continues to build. Helena is shaking, her brow furrowed in concentration, sweat beading on her forehead. My heart lurches when a trickle of blood runs from her nose and I make my way around the circle, assessing the other two. Both are in similar states. Gwen is pale and bleeding from her ears, while Izzy's not bleeding, but she looks ill.
"Enough," Grant roars, but they don't listen.
They're deep into the casting and I doubt anything short of a bomb going off could pull them from this. My fist clench at my sides as I'm powerless to stop them. The ball of glowing magic is nearly touching the ceiling now, filled with swirling golden wisps of the spell. But then, as though injected with evil, a tendril of darkness infiltrates the beautiful orb. Helena's eyes lock onto the spell and go wide before her expression becomes curiously blank. It's like she's mesmerized.
"Helena!" I call, knowing she won't hear me.
Grant is striding across the room and before I can stop him, he's wrenching his mate from the circle. He gets what he wants, she comes to him, but the other two witches are still staring at the massive amount of unused power in the air. In unis
on, they stop chanting and suck in sharp breaths. I see it happen before I feel it. The explosion of magic sends a shockwave through the room, but nothing hits us. The force of the blast hits Helena square in the chest, knocking her to the ground.
"No!" I rush to her side, knowing that was not how this was supposed to go. Gently, I pull her into my arms and run my fingers over her cheek. She's pale, blood running from her nose and ears. This isn't right. It's not what her magic is supposed to do.
"Let me see her," Gwen says, her voice tight with worry and pain. She looks weary, but it's obvious Helena took the brunt of the blow. As much as I don't want to, I concede and let the small woman take control. She runs her hands over Helena's body and sighs. "Stupid witch," she mutters before reaching into Helena's shirt and pulling the black moonstone out. Only it's not black anymore. The stone has turned the same bright golden color of their spell.
"What did she do?"
Gwen levels her gaze on me, the bronze irises identical to Helena's revealing anger and betrayal. "She stole our magic."
14
Helena
My head feels like someone drove a spike straight through the center. I can't open my eyes. If I do, I'm positive I'll be sick.
"Wake up, love. I know you're in there." Tamiel doesn't sound pleased with me.
"Can't open my eyes. I'll die."
At that, he chuckles. "Doubtful. Come on, then. You've got two very concerned sisters waiting, and I think you owe them some answers."
I hadn't planned on being incapacitated by the sheer force of the magic the moonstone absorbed. Instinctively, I reach between my breasts for the moonstone, but there's no smooth, cold stone. My blood runs cold at the realization that everything, all the power I've siphoned into that stone, is gone. I betrayed them for nothing.
"Where is it?" I hiss as I sit up.
"What?"
"You know exactly what. The moonstone. I need it, Tamiel."
He presses his palm against the space where the pendant should be and shakes his head. "Always plotting, always planning some escape. Helena, I won't let you leave me because of some misguided fear or a fucking vision. You're safe with me and so are they. You won't go into battle alone."
"How do you know about the visions?"
His face changes from filled with emotion to a blank mask. "I spoke to Gwen."
"But I never told her…" It dawns on me then. He knows more than he's been saying. He's been speaking in secret to my sisters, to Gabriel. "What have you been up to behind my back?"
"I've been trying to keep your stubborn arse alive."
"How? So far, all you've done is expose me to a demo— Oh, no. Paris has something to do with Gwen's vision, doesn't he?"
"As I said before, I needed more information." Tamiel drags his fingers through his tousled hair and sighs. "I'm not certain, but I called him because of what Gwen saw."
Dread curls in my gut making me nauseated. "Tell me everything."
He threads his fingers in mine and tugs. "I think you should speak to Gwen about that. She's more fit to tell you than I am."
My chest tightens at the thought of facing my sisters after what I'd done. But he's right. If I'm going to get the most accurate information, I'll need to speak to the person who saw it firsthand. "Fine."
I pull my hand free of his and guilt swarms me at the look in his eyes. I don't want to hurt him. Dammit, I don't want to hurt anyone, but I'm failing fantastically. I need to get the moonstone and do what I know I have to. It's the only way to ensure they survive. Straightening my shoulders, I rise and refuse to let his handsome face or the delicious scent of him sway me. If all goes well, I'll be with him again soon, otherwise…I shake my head, unwilling to think about that option.
"What's going through your head, love? I can see something behind your eyes and it makes me uncomfortable."
A twist of pain starts in my stomach, nearly doubling me over, but I fight through it. Fear strikes my heart at the understanding of exactly what this is. A summoning. But this time, I know it's not my sisters and I also know I'm completely exposed. I don't have the moonstone. My strength is diminished. I'm a sitting duck.
"Fuck," I mutter, trying to disguise my pain as I fight the spell pulling me away from Tamiel. I turn toward him and stare into his platinum irises. "You are the single most wonderful man I've ever known, Tamiel. I'm only sorry I didn't see it sooner." Then, as he opens his mouth to speak, I tangle my fingers in his hair and pull his lips to mine. We nearly combust in a blazing kiss that lets my soul speak to his. It says everything my heart won't allow, but I wish I could have.
He must begin to understand what's happening because he tenses and holds me tighter, as though he can keep me here. And part of me hopes he can do exactly that. He did the first time they tried to take me, but I feel his grip fading, the strength of the magic ripping me from one location and sending me to another. Every ounce of my power is locked in the moonstone along with my sisters'.
I'm about to get everything I wanted.
I'm going to face Calista.
Alone.
But there's a variable I hadn't counted on.
When I arrive, I'll be powerless.
"Helena, stay with me."
His voice pulls me back, but only minutely. I try. I fight with every tendril of strength left to stay with him. My sisters rush into the room, and I see Gwen holding the moonstone, the magic glowing within. She begins to chant, linking hands with Izzy, and for an instant, I allow myself hope. They'll stop this. But the feel of my angel's hands disappears completely, and soon all I can see is darkness. The scent of earth and rot fills my nose and makes me gag. Everything is cold and dank.
Taking shallow breaths through my mouth, I lift my hands in an attempt to feel for my surroundings. I'm met with soft wood planks that give slightly when I push. But as the wood shifts a rush of heavy soil filters in. A scream builds in my throat at the feel of something crawling across my wrist.
A coffin. I've been buried alive. Calista. The sadistic bitch has sent me to my death again, but this time I'm to die facing my greatest fear. Claustrophobia sets in and I begin hyperventilating. In this moment I would do anything to get free. Panic claws at my chest, making my heart race as I let out a bloodcurdling scream and hammer on the sides of the coffin.
The air grows thin, but I can't stop the screams tearing out of my throat. And then it's all gone and I'm standing in a brightly lit room that looks like it could've been a school auditorium at one point. I can still taste the dank, cold air and feel the skittering of bugs against my skin, even though I'm not there anymore.
A wicked laugh fills the air and sends chills down my spine. I know that laugh all too well. "Hello, sister. It's been too long. How did you enjoy my little illusion? I find a look into one's future quite helpful in aiding decision making." Calista strides to the center of the room and smiles at me, her eyes which used to be the same bronze as mine are now a burning red. "Care to make a deal and save yourself?"
Tamiel
"We have to go after her," I say, my hands still attempting to grip Helena even though she's gone.
"Well, of course we bloody do." Izzy doesn't seem pleased I'd felt the need to tell them what to do. "She's our sister. Even if she's a damn thief."
"You know it's a trap?" The wall of shifter male behind Izzy crosses his arms over his chest and frowns. "You're playing right into Calista's hands."
The tiny witch doesn't even turn around to look at her mate. "And you know I won't be able to live with myself if we don't try and save Helena."
"Aye, I know. It just had to be said."
My skin prickles with unease with every moment that ticks by. Calista might have already killed her. But wouldn't I feel her death? I can't imagine my heart wouldn't feel something if she left this world. Closing my eyes, I try to take myself to her with the power of my angelic grace, but I can't. There's a pull, my heart to hers, but it's like a concrete wall has been slammed down between us, keeping
me from her. "We can't get to her with magic. Everything around her is too heavily warded."
"Unless we're able to bring down the wards." Gwen holds up the moonstone. "Helena's right. I can feel the power inside, but it's too much for one person. I think if we get close enough, the three of us can destroy the warding spell. Then we can go to her."
I nod and step toward them, visualizing the map of Manhattan Gabriel showed me. If I'm right, Kit has been trying to get inside Calista's walls ever since the failed summoning. That's where we need to be. "I know where to go. But there's probably a demon lying in wait that we'll have to dispose of."
"His name wouldn't happen to be Paris, would it?" A wicked gleam shines in Izzy's eyes.
"The very same."
"Good. I haven't seen a man castrated in far too long. Perhaps I'll do the honors."
A shudder threatens to run through me at the thought, but I hold it off. If I have my way, Kit will be a pile of ash before the sun rises. "No. He's mine to smite."
At first I think Izzy is going to argue, but she offers me a slight nod and grins. "Very well. Helena doesn't know what she's missing."
"She's not missing anything and as soon as we break this curse, I'll make her mine in every way." My heart gives a lurch at the idea of taking her as my bride and binding her to me in my Father's word.
"Tamiel…" Gwen starts but trails off. "There's something you need to know about her."
We don't have time for this. "If you're trying to tell me she won't let herself love me, I know. But I'll prove it to her. I'll show her love is hers for the taking. After we kill Calista and end the curse."
She shakes her head. "It's not just that. It…I did something."
Izzy whips her head around to look at Gwen and dread curls in my gut. "What the bloody hell are you talking about?"
