Of Breath And Soul

by Jennifer Snyder

  My fist slammed into his jaw, but he didn’t drop the way I thought he would. The jolt didn’t even faze him. What should I do now? Where should I hit him next? How can I add more power behind my punch? Before I could do anything, Liam touched something to Chi’s skin and he froze in place.

  Words, coated in his thick accent and wrapped in power, flowed past Liam’s lips. It was the first time I’d ever witnessed a leprechaun work magic. My brain struggled to comprehend what he was saying, but I couldn’t follow along. I was too focused on Chi and his immobile state.

  While I wasn’t sure what I expected to see while Liam worked his magic—possibly rainbows and gleaming pots of gold—having someone become frozen at the touch of a coin wasn’t it. I’d never thought of Liam’s coins as weapons. However, when used with the right intention, it made sense that they could be. Liam had once told me I should respect the power of his coins. Maybe he’d been right.

  Chi slumped to the ground once Liam lifted the coin from his skin. Liam whispered a few more words before he released the coin. It hovered in midair, spinning by a force unseen. Blackness appeared across its surface, chasing away the bronze color.

  “What just happened?” Tristan asked, his voice caught somewhere between a grunt and the sharp inhale of a breath.

  Liam brushed his hands together as though he were wiping dirt off them. “My coin absorbed the dark magic.”

  I watched as the coin continued to dance and spin in the air. The instant it turned solid black it began to smolder as though it was burning from the heat of the magic trapped inside. It floated to the ground as it slowly turned to charred ashes. “Problem solved.” Liam made his way into the hall. “And now that we’re all awake, would anyone like coffee?”

  I stared after him, waiting for my heart to find its normal rhythm. I’d nearly died. Again. And this time, Liam had been the one to save me. Who would have thought?

  “Is everyone okay?” Jasper reached for me. “Piper?”

  “I’m fine.” I nodded. Once he released me, I moved to Tristan’s side. He was rubbing his cheek. “Are you okay?”

  He worked his jaw back and forth. “I’ll be fine.”

  “You sure?” He’d taken one heck of a punch. The side of his jaw was red and angry. “Do you want me to get you some ice? There might be some in the freezer.” Guilt swarmed my stomach at the sight of him. It seemed like he was always getting hurt because of me.

  “Nah, I’ll be fine. The question is: Is he going to be okay?” He nodded toward Chi.

  I glanced at him. Now that Chi wasn’t possessed he didn’t appear to be a threat, and I worried Liam’s magic might be something permanent.

  “He will be fine.” Meili moved to his side, ready to examine him. “It is us I am worried about.”

  “Me too,” my brother quickly agreed. “They’ll be back. They’ll also be waiting for us to retaliate.”

  “We should retaliate. Now.” Meili’s hands clenched into fists at her sides as she stood. “Tristan’s link to the mirror is gone. Piper’s life has been threatened more than once. It is time we go after the Vodun and wipe them out. No more waiting. No more planning. It is time we act.”

  I swallowed hard. As much as I didn’t want to admit it, Meili was right. It was time we acted. We’d planned all we could. We’d waited all we could. The time to go head-to-head with the Vodun was now. Adrenaline heated my blood. I was sick of death knocking on my door with the face of the Vodun and their many followers.

  It was time we finished this.

  “Gather everything you’ve brought to go against them with.” Jasper’s voice boomed with authority. He was as ready to take them down as Meili and me. “We leave as soon as possible.”

  “What about their army, Jasper?” Anna folded her arms across her chest as she stared at my brother with wide eyes. “Where were they? Why did the Vodun come themselves this time?”

  I blinked, suddenly wondering the same.

  “Who knows?” Jasper shrugged.

  “It has to mean something. We should think about this before we rush in,” she insisted. “Before the Vodun sent women from their army or their creepy birds. Not once have they made an attempt to come after us directly.”

  “Maybe they were tired of failing.” Jasper scratched at the back of his neck. “Maybe they’ve become believers of the old adage: If you want something done right, then you have to do it yourself. I don’t know, and I don’t care. All I know is that there’s no better time than now. We can’t put this off any longer.”

  “Maybe,” Anna muttered, but she didn’t seem convinced.

  “What do you think it means?” I asked her. Anna always thought outside the box. In situations like this, it might be of great value to have her looking at all angles.

  “I’m not sure, but I don’t think it means anything good.” She glanced out the bedroom window. It was still dark out, probably hours away from dawn. The moon illuminated the square for a backyard that came with the place. “I have a feeling we need to be extra careful once we step outside this house though.”

  A shiver ran along my spine at her words because I had a feeling she was right.

  I scanned the area outside the window, searching for creepy birds or strange women with raven tattoos that might be waiting to ambush us the second we stepped past the protective walls of the house. Movement captured my attention along the edge of the yard, but it was too dark to make out what it was.

  “All right, everyone, gather your things, get dressed, and eat if you can.” Jasper clapped his hands. “We all need to keep our strength up. I have a feeling we’re going to need it today.”

  Never had I agreed more with something my brother said.

  AVAILABLE NOW!

  Acknowledgments

  While my list of people might not have grown since the last novel in this series, but my gratitude for each has.

  My family—thank you for continuing to cheer me on through this journey of mine, for bouncing around ideas with me when I found myself stuck in the plot, and for loving me as much and as well as you. I cherish my little home support team.

  Author friends—you know who you are and how much your time means to me. I’m so thankful to have found each of you along this journey.

  My team—to my editor Dani, my proofreader Nicole, and every single member of Snyder’s Sidekicks I can’t thank you enough for all that you’ve done for me and this novel. You’ve each helped me and supported me in more ways than you can ever know.

  To the reader’s—I hope you’ve enjoyed the second installment of this series and that you are just as eager as I am to see what happens to Piper and Tristan in in the next book.

  Until we meet again…

  About the Author

  Jennifer Snyder lives in North Carolina where she spends most of her time writing New Adult and Young Adult Fiction, reading, and struggling to stay on top of housework. She is a tea lover with an obsession for Post-it notes and smooth writing pens. Jennifer lives with her husband and two children, who endure listening to songs that spur inspiration on repeat and tolerate her love for all paranormal, teenage-targeted TV shows.

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  Find Jennifer Online!

  jennifersnyderbooks.com/

  jennifersnyder04@gmail.com