“I’m trying.” The glow intensified. A blurry ball formed in front of her, its sides misshapen like a child’s first snowball. “I’ve got it!” She threw the ball. It arched toward the queen’s advisor, wavering on its crooked path and fizzling out mid-air, long before it got even close to his wards.
Haddon ignored her, instead he redoubled his efforts at Bosco, sending shot after shot of power in his direction, eating away at the magic in Bosco’s shield in small bites.
Bosco held fast, fighting to pour more power into his shield and wishing he could wipe the sweat dripping down into his eyes. His arm burned. He’d never last like this. His Gift was glamour. One of slight of hand and deception not out-and-out battle. Without the extra power of the boluses—he was going to lose.
He was cut off from the basket, but maybe, with the extra power, Cassie could save herself. “Cassie, take the rest of the power in. They’re all yours.”
“I can’t.” Her eyes glowed, the green hidden under the kaleidoscope of new power she’d just taken in. “You need them.”
Haddon’s head whipped around. “Cassandra, that’s too much power for you. You’ll burn out if you take it all in. Trust me.”
“Don’t listen to him.” Bosco, lowered his voice. “I can’t use them now, Cassie, but you can. Take in the power and make him pay.”
“But your sister. What about Siobhan?”
It was Cassie or Haddon, Siobhan would understand. And there was no way Bosco was letting Haddon get that much power.
“I’ll find a way.”
“We’ll find a way.” She reached into the basket.
“Give them to me, Princess.” The green man’s face was tight with tension. He clawed at Cassie, reaching for the basket.
“Screw you, Haddon.” Cassie got off the bed. “I’m not your Princess and I never was. I know who I am.”
Bosco sent a hard push of power at Haddon, knocking him off balance. Gathering the last of his power up Bosco dropped his wards, using the last of his magic to surround Cassie. She’d never looked more beautiful to him as she scooped up a glowing blue ball.
“Give them to me.” Haddon pushed hard at the wards around Cassie.
Bosco shook, but he held the wall. “Take it in, Cassie,” he urged. “Make yourself strong and together we can take him.”
She pressed the blue ball to her heart. Cool mint wafted on the air.
“No!” Haddon lunged, pushing into Bosco’s wards and clawing his way to Cassie.
Bosco poured everything he had into the wards, dropping to his knees with the effort. Cassie grabbed another ball, and pressed it to her chest. Bright white flashed, the air filled with a sweet and spicy tang. Magic poured out of her skin, crackling out of her fingertips. Her red hair rose in static curls reaching for the ceiling, looking eerily exactly like the queen.
Cassie swayed, her pupils huge with the rush of power. Bosco swore. He hoped her body could handle that much magic. She looked fae, but he knew that she’d started off merely a human witch with only a witch’s abilities.
“You stupid fool. You think you’ve saved her because you’ve made her stronger?” Haddon took advantage of Bosco’s distraction and broke through Bosco’s shield, cutting a hole in it that wavered in mid-air. The advisor reached through the hole and picked up the last shimmering ball of white. “Ah, you have no idea how much I need this.” He pressed it to his chest and spread his arms wide, a beatific smile spreading over his face. The sweet smell of licorice rose into the air.
Bosco lifted his sword, aiming for Haddon’s chest. A sharp pain stabbed into his side. He looked down, his blade wavering, shocked to see metal covered in red sliding out from beneath his ribs and one of the soldiers holding the other end of the bloody sword.
He stumbled—and fell.
Cassie’s fingers sparked, a bolt of magic shot off the tips. Raw power careened off course, burning a hole in the white fringe of the Oriental rug.
Haddon laughed. The triumphant sound grated on Bosco’s ears. “She might be able to beat me, if she knew what she was doing. But she won’t be able to beat the queen.”
Haddon grabbed Cassie by the hand, dragging her across the floor. A portal formed, grey purple mist trailing out from the ragged edges. Cassie kicked and screamed. Magic flew off of her in waves, but Haddon had his arm locked around her waist.
“Let me go, you bastard!” Sparks flashed on her fingers, shooting wildly around the room and exploding into small fires.
Bosco staggered to his feet just as Haddon pulled her into the portal.
The edges of the portal shrank closed around the pale sheen of Cassie’s face outlined in the mist. “Bosco!” Her hand reached out to him, but it was sucked away by the maelstrom of the portal.
He stabbed blindly at the soldier in front of him, everything in him focused on Cassie’s disappearing face. The man shifted to the side, leaving a clear run to the portal. There was no way Bosco was losing Cassie like this.
Adrenaline shot through him and he raced for the portal, ignoring the blood pouring from the wound in his side, and jumped. The jaws of the Gate snapped closed on the backs of his heels.
CASSIE HAD NO CHOICE but to hang on to Haddon through the portal’s clutching mists. Power sizzled along the channels of her magic in rainbow colors swirling in and around her Gift. Its heady pop and buzz knocked her off balance, leaving her drunk and woozy from the energy high. So much raw power. And she had absolutely no clue what to do with it.
They exited the portal. Haddon dropped her to the ground flicking extra sparks off of his tunic with the tips of his fingers. “Get control of it, bitch.”
Swirls of light sparkled in front of her eyes blocking the black and white marble of the summer castle’s main floor. Past and multiple futures sped off into nowhere and she struggled for control.
Bosco tumbled through the portal, rolling and landing next to her at Haddon’s feet.
“Guards! Guards!” The crashing sounds of battle rang out everywhere around them, but none came to Haddon’s aid.
Cassie struggled to see which room they were in through all the new light cramming her vision. They’d landed in the hall outside of the ballroom, but it was far from its usual grandeur. Instead of the organized flow of people and servants, chaos reigned.
Large lumbering trolls bashed branches the size of tree trunks slamming jagged holes into the marble floors. Tiny glowing fairies flew by, screaming as they dodged the chunks of plaster raining down from the ceiling.
“Cassie, run!” Bosco had his sword out. His aura glowed around him, but it was getting weaker, draining out a hole in his side along with a massive amount of blood.
She started towards him, crawling along the floor.
“Not so fast, missy.” Haddon’s fingers sank into the top of her arm, digging in with a vicious grip. “We’re going to see the queen.” He half-carried, half-dragged her into the ballroom with one arm, using the other to hold his sword. Bashing and slicing through the clumps of skirmishing fae. Cassie blinked through the haze of magic. She could see the soldiers of the queen in black with silver, but the rooms were packed with fae wearing the new colors of Prince Kian, gold edged in black.
And they all glowed with magic. So much so that she could barely open her eyes. All their futures spun out before her, the dying and the living. She lost her balance in the swirl of possibilities and fell to her knees.
“Get up.” When she didn’t move, Haddon took a better grip on her arm and dragged her the rest of the way into the ballroom.
The queen stood on the dias. Lightning shot from her fingers, burning soldiers where they stood. She was, the Morrigan, the battle Goddess. The skulls on her necklace grinned and chortled with every death and a crazed laugh came from her throat. Cassie could barely look, the queen’s triple aura blinding her with its magnificence. Power shook her.
“I’ve returned, my queen, and look what I’ve brought.” Haddon pushed through the bodies and threw her at the queen’s
feet.
Cassie tried to rise.
“You think that’s enough to pacify me?” Her black hair coiled to the ceiling. “You, who’ve betrayed me day after day, making me think I was insane?” She looked insane to Cassie’s magic filled eyes, her aura a roiling mess of multiple colors. “You will never be accepted into my court again. You are finished, do you hear me? Finished!”
Haddon gathered himself up. “Then I guess it’s time.” He pulled a bow from out of nowhere and tipped a brilliantly green arrow to the notch. And let it fly.
The queen’s futures slowed down to just one. The arrow hit the queen dead center, piercing her chest and going deep into her heart.
Blood spurted. Green poisonous magic spread out from the wound, racing through the queen’s system even as her lifeblood poured out.
Cassie forced herself to look. The queen shimmered in front of her, and split into three people. The Morrigan was bright and bold, shooting magic at everyone she could reach as the poison crept through her system. Beside her, and a little to the rear huddled a younger woman. She looked like Aeval, but it couldn’t be. She was too young, her face too bewildered. And next to her hunched an old woman with a crooked back and an even more crooked smile cutting deep into her face. She caught Cassie’s eye and winked.
Cold washed over her, chilling her to her marrow.
Long strands of vibrant color connected the three women. The old woman pulled the aura-strands, taking more and more from the bleeding Morrigan, but the other woman didn’t seem to care. She was lost in the battle frenzy, dying as she took as many with her as she could. The green poison of Haddon’s magical arrow crept along the strands from the Morrigan, heading for the old woman. She pulled a pair of scissors from her pocket and snipped the life cord. The Morrigan jerked.
There was still a bright cord of color connecting her to the young redhead, and another connecting the younger woman to the crone. The poison raced toward the redhead along the strand. The scissors flashed. Both the redhead and the Morrigan jerked, only this time the younger woman still stood, while the Morrigan dropped to the ground.
The old woman tugged on the cord and the redhead stumbled to her. The old woman looked directly at Cassie and held a finger to her pursed wrinkled lips. Cassie couldn’t hear the shhh, but she felt a wash of power. Instinctively, she threw a shield up. It sparked and sputtered, but deflected a wash of something away from her. She collapsed on the hard floor, grateful for the press of cold marble on her heated face.
The crone wrapped her arm around the younger version of the queen and they disappeared, leaving only the dead form of the Morrigan. The image of a black crown with high sharp points appeared on the dead woman’s head. It floated above her head, then rose and crowned the stunned advisor.
A huge grin split his cheeks. “I’m the king. I’m the King!” He clicked his heels, dancing and jigging around the body of the dead queen. Horns sounded outside of the castle. A guard staggered in. Blood gushed from his chest staining his livery and dripping on the polished floor. He pulled the double doors shut behind him and lowered the bar into the slots. They shook with the impact of a heavy body.“My lord, the prince...he’s broken through.” He sagged against the wall and slid to the floor, leaving a long smear of red along the flocked satin wallpaper. “He’s coming.”
Haddon stopped his victory dance. He opened a new portal. “Come my dear, it’s back to the Black Court for us. I’m the King now and you’ll be my mirror.”
Cassie was dizzy with double sight, images flitting in and out of her vision. “No,” she croaked out and pushed her exhausted body to her feet
“Don’t cause trouble. Kian is coming.” He lunged for her. “We need to go.” She stumbled away, lurching across the ballroom.
“She’s not going with you.” Bosco stepped between them, his sword raised, the point aiming at Haddon’s slightly pouched belly. Blood poured from his wound from between the fingers of his other hand.
Haddon’s lip curled. “I’ve already defeated you once, fool. And I’ve defeated the queen. You stand no chance against me.”
“But we might together.” Cassie moved to Bosco’s side. “I’m never going to be used again.”
Sounds of battle crashed outside the ballroom. Haddon cast a nervous look at the door. The black pointed crown faded away, but she knew the aura of kingship still hovered over the green man, and would until someone took it from him. The gaping maw of the portal swirled behind him, the gravitational pull stirring his hair. Cassie felt the pull and grabbed Bosco’s right arm letting the wash of his aura stabilize her.
“Cassie, just let him go.”
“We can do this,” she said. “We might not be able to defeat him, but we can hold him until Kian gets here. Then we’ll see who is king.” Bosco’s aura flowed into her, helping her center her power. She formed a ball in her hands, working the power until it felt solid. Raising her hands she threw it at the advisor, missing his slippered feet by inches. “Damn.”
Haddon flinched away from the sizzling at his toes. “You bitch.” Loud shouts came from the hall and the door shook under a series of pounding thuds. A huge crack formed along one of the panels. Haddon moved toward the portal. “I won’t forget this. I’ll hunt you down no matter where you go. You’ll see me in your nightmares.”
“You’ll see me in yours.” Power flowed through Cassie, surging through her body and back into Bosco’s. Her fingers tingled. She formed another ball of magic. It crackled as it left her hand, aiming straight and true and hitting Haddon’s upper thigh.
“Fuck!” He gathered his own ball of energy.
Cassie braced for the hit. Power rushed into her, reinforcing her shields. “Bosco, no! You don’t have any shielding.” She tried to push some of it back to him, but he sent another huge rush into her.
Haddon’s magic hurtled out. She saw the gleam in his eyes as he aimed at Bosco. She tried to throw her power around him, but she was too late. The power hit her shields. Light flashed, blinding her.
Bosco fell to the floor.
There was another resounding boom from the direction of the ballroom doors. They broke open, splinters flying through the air one stabbing Haddon in the cheek. He screamed, blood blossoming on his face. He stepped into the mist. She threw herself on top of Bosco, holding him down and shielding as the gravitational pull of the portal snapped closed.
Soldiers in Kian’s colors ran into the room. The sounds of fighting quieted down out in the hall.
“Is she here?” A woman raced in and Cassie blinked at her through the swirl of magic. The woman was tall and blond, and despite the shifting futures, Cassie knew exactly who she was.
“Bryanna, oh thank Danu it’s you.” Cassie cradled Bosco in her arms his aura was draining away through the hole in his chest. Her sister ran towards her. “Bryanna, quick, he’s dying.”
“Who are you? Where’s Cassie.”
“Bree, it’s me. I’m Cassie.”
“No, you’re not. You sound like Cassie, but look at you.” Bryanna stared at her. Green eyes—human eyes. Eyes like Cassie used to have. “Cassie? Is that you? You look like a Tuathan warrior.”
Cassie laughed. “I forgot. I’m wearing a glamour.” She was so much more than the disguise of the black haired warrior her sister could see—but there was no time for that now. She’d have to show her sister her new face later. And deal with the repercussions.
She wanted to hug her sister, tell her everything that had happened since she’d seen her last. Ask her how she could marry the queens’ son. But instead all she said, “It’s me and I’m fine.” She wasn’t. The colors and magic in her head were blinding, and she’d never be the same again. But she’d live. “Bosco’s hurt.” His futures were narrowing down to the one with the shortest life span and it made her desperate. “He’s dying, Bree. Help him.”
“I’ll do what I can.” Bryanna knelt down by Bosco and centered. Her magic flared a powerful shimmering blue.
Cassie shut
her eyes against the bright light of her sister’s healing power. “Bree, your power is huge. What have you been doing?”
Bryanna blushed. “I have so much to tell you. You’ve been missing for so long.”
Cassie hugged her sister. “Never mind, we’ll catch up later. Just use all that magic and save him.”
Bryanna rocked back on her heels. “Who is he, Cassie?”
Cassie stared down at the man who still looked like Alasdair, the gorgeous boy-toy warrior, but underneath that too pretty face she knew there was the real Bosco. The flawed, flirty, dangerous man she’d fallen in love with.
“Oh, Bree. I’ve changed so much, I don’t even know who I am. But I know one thing, he’s the man I want to help me figure it out.”
Bryanna nodded. “Okay then. I’ll get to work.”
Her sister used deep healer blue magic like a surgeon’s scalpel to seal his wound and push energy into him. When she’d finished she looked at Cassie. “I don’t know, sis. He was pretty hurt. He seems to have opened up his aura and drained nearly everything out.”
“For me,” she whispered. “He did it for me.”
He opened his eyes.
Relief rushed through Cassie. “Oh, Bosco, you’re alive.” She cradled his head on her lap.
“What—” His voice was barely there. She had to lean in close to hear his words. “What happened to Haddon.”
“He took the portal. He’s gone.”
“Fuck. I really wanted to kill that bastard.” Bosco said. Then he passed out.
Chapter Thirty
Bosco woke up in Cassie’s tower bedroom. The curtains were closed, but daylight seeped in past the cracks. From the outer room he could hear voices.
“Is he awake yet?”
“He hasn’t woken up yet. But his fever finally broke. Thank the Goddess.”
Cassie. She was alive.
“Now that his fever’s broken it should be soon,” the other female voice said. “Kian wants to see him before they head to the next battle. Did you have Trina look at him too?”
Enchanted: A Fae Fantasy Romance (Fae Magic Book 3) Page 22
