Tucker’s wall wavered, and sweat poured off his body as he struggled to keep control of it. “Get ready. I can’t hold it up for much longer.”
I stood with my feet apart and held my hands up. I didn’t know what I could do to help, but I would do what I could to avoid being taken by these guys. Whatever this powerful feeling was, I would use it. “I’m ready.”
“Three…” His arms shook. “Two…” His cheeks flushed with exertion. “One!”
The wall dropped, and the four witches surged forward. They threw energy spheres at Tuck. He reached over and pulled me down next to him. They soared over his head.
He cupped his hand around his mouth. “Duck!”
Ashryn and Tabitha fell to the ground, dodging the energy balls. Faster than I thought possible, they sprang back up.
Tuck turned toward me. “I gotta cover their backs.” He shuffled me behind the Audi. “Keep hidden.”
“I can help.”
“You haven’t had time to train, and I can’t risk you, Zin. Please I just…” He glanced over his shoulder. “I can’t see you get hurt.”
He stepped away from me to face off against them and held his swords out at his sides. He was fearsome, powerful and the most handsome boy I’d ever seen. A sphere flew at his chest, and he pivoted on his heels and swung the sword up, slicing it in half. It evaporated into thin air. Another soared just to his right. He turned, sword at the ready, and hit it with the flat end like a baseball. The thing shot back toward the witches, but was high over their heads. A volley of fire rained down just over my head, and a squeal escaped my lips before I jumped to my feet and caught another ball, then threw it at the guy nearest to me. The sphere exploded against his chest and lit his robes with blue flames. I stood, ready to catch another. The man waved his arm over the ground and dropped into a small portal, leaving his flaming robe behind.
Tuck batted away another ball. “I thought we decided you should stay down.”
“Psh, you decided I should stay down. I decided you were wrong.” From the corner of my eye, I saw another energy ball heading toward Tabi and Ashryn. It was high overhead, so I leapt up and extended my body to its full length and felt the heat in my hand the moment I caught it. I spun on my heels and launched it at the group Ashryn and Tabitha fought against. It hit the ground between two of them, sending them flying back and leaving a crater in the pavement. Yes!
“Target practice, people.” Tabitha’s wild black curls stood on end, fanning out from her mocha skin. A wide grin played on her full lips as she held her fingers out and her yellow magic spread over the ground like a spider web. Vines slithered across the road in all directions like snakes in a garden. They wrapped around the ankles of our attackers, and one by one they were flipped upside down and heaved into the air until they hung in a row, all seven of them.
Ashryn pulled her bow taught. She stood on the roof of her Jeep, then narrowed her eyes. “I will not hesitate, followers of Alataris. Stop moving.”
They went motionless, and their robes hung loose over their faces. Tucker stalked to the one in the middle and threw his hood back from his face. He was a middle-aged man with very little hair and a wide array of wrinkles covered his face.
Tucker’s jaw flexed, and I could’ve sworn smoke was about to come out of his ears. He fisted the man’s robes and yanked him forward. “Why have you come?”
“For that one.” He pointed right at me. “He wants her.”
What was he talking about? I stalked up beside Tuck. “Who wants me?”
“The High King Alataris.” Tuck answered before the man could. He shook the man. “What’s his plan for her?”
A dazed look overcame his face as he gazed out into the distance. “Princess Ophelia has told him of her power. The king desires her for his own.”
“Ew.” I wrinkled my nose. “I don’t belong to anyone.”
The man continued on as if I hadn’t spoken. “Word of the power she wields is spreading…”
All at once, they disappeared into thin air, only leaving a bit of glittering residue behind.
Tabitha came to Tuck’s other side. “I tried to hold them longer, but they were summoned back.”
Tuck gritted his teeth and spit the name like a curse, “Alataris.”
“I’ve never seen anyone do that before. Catch magic and throw it like a baseball.” Tabitha turned and arched her eyebrow at me. “Is that normal for a Siphon Witch?”
Tuck shrugged, and I swear he looked at me with pride shinning in his face. “Only Niche would know. We’re going to have to take her for a visit.”
Tabitha nodded. “I agree.”
Ashryn glided to stand across from me. “I find these things interesting…we must look into them.”
“Um, excuse me. What are you all talking about?” I held my hand up. There were so many things going on that I didn’t understand and needed to. “Who’s Niche?”
Tucker ran his hand through his hair.“Niche is a witching mentor. The mentor to the Witch Queens to be exact.”
“Hold up. I can’t believe there are real live witches.” Witches were something I thought existed in books, movies and TV shows. But this was real life. This wasn’t some fake world. I lived here. I sucked in a deep breath.
“Yes.” He stared down at my hands.
I took a small step back, looking around at them all. “Wait, and you all think I’m a witch? Why?”
Tuck shared a look with Ashryn and Tabi before he stepped forward. I squirmed under his intense gaze. “Because Zin, you are.”
I froze on the spot…I’m a witch?
Chapter 8
Tucker
The sound of racing car engines filled the air. I could tell they were coming toward us.
Zinnia stood frozen, staring down at her hands and the rest of her body. “Are you sure?”
“Am I sure what? That you’re a witch?” I leaned back on my heels and glanced down the road. The cars hadn’t come into sight yet, but we had to get moving. “Yeah, I’m sure.”
“But, but…”
I grabbed her arm and steered her toward the passenger side of the Audi. “We need to go now.” I opened the door and helped her in, then shut it behind her. I motioned to the other SUVs we’d destroyed. “Tabi, can you get rid of this?”
Tabitha held her hands out to her sides. Yellow magic drifted from her palms and the road opened up, swallowing the smoking car in front of us. The other SUV behind us dropped even further into the ground. As she steepled her fingers in front of her chest, the street came back together like puzzle pieces. I’d seen her do this before, but each time I watched her manipulate the earth, it astounded me. And now Zinnia, who hadn’t even Ascended yet, was wielding magic like it was child’s play.
I put my hand on the handle of the driver’s side door. “Follow me. We need to get out of here.”
Ashryn tilted her head to the side, her pointed ears twitching. “They will soon be upon us, Prince.”
She was the only one who called me Prince. Yet each time she did, it stung, I hadn’t been a prince since I started training as a guardian. “Let’s go now.”
They raced back into the car, and this time Ashryn took the driver’s side and Tabitha hopped into the passenger side. She leaned out the window and shot a jolt of magic at a large tree on the side of the road. The trunk tilted to the side, and with a deafening crack, it fell across the street, blocking anyone who might come up behind them. I yanked the door open and slid into the driver’s seat. When I turned the key, the engine sparked to life. I slammed the car into drive and shoved my foot down on the gas.
“Where are we going?” Zinnia looked paler than I’d like, and she began to wring her hands together once again.
“Evermore Academy.” I pressed the buttons on the steering wheel, and the sound of a phone ringing came over the bluetooth in the car.
Beckett picked up after the first ring. “Hello.”
“Get the rest of the crew to the Academy. I’ll ne
ed transport in ten minutes.”
“They’re already on their way. Where do you want me to open the portal?” This was why Beckett was my second in command; he was always clam and ready.
I glanced down at the screen in the dashboard and found a cross street about ten minutes away. “The corner of Main Street and Puckerton Road.”
Zinnia squinted at the screen. “That’s all woods out there. There’s no way he’ll find us.”
“Wanna bet?” Beckett chuckled. “I’ll be waiting.”
My knuckled turned white as I squeezed the steering wheel even harder. “Good, oh and Becks?”
“Yeah?”
“Make it a big one. We’ve got company.” I glanced in my rearview mirror, and two more SUVs were right on the bumper of Ashryn’s Jeep.
“Consider it done.” The phone went dead.
Zinnia glanced over her shoulder. “I can’t just leave, Tuck. My mom—”
An energy ball few over my car and landed in the middle of the street. A huge crater sat in our path. “Already knows what you are and that this could happen.” I swerved to the side, dodging the hole.
“What? She knew?!” Her eyes widened, then she pressed her lips together. “I have to talk to her.”
“Bit busy at the moment.”
Behind me, the Jeep wasn’t faring well against the two trucks trying to run it off the road. The SUV turned to the side, missing their rear bumper by inches. One hit like that and they’d spin out.
“Can I call her on Bluetooth?”
I shook my head. “I don’t have her number programmed in my phone.”
“Okay, just give me your cell.” She held her hand out for it.
I arched my eyebrow at her. “It’s in my pocket.” We were in the middle of running from more of Alataris’ followers, and I need both my hands on the wheel.
She shoved her hand into the pocket of my jeans.
I lifted my hip, trying to give her more space to move. “Only known each other for two days and you’ve already got your hand in my pants?”
She ripped the phone from my pants, then gave me a sour look. “It’s necessary. We’re running for our lives, remember?”
“Speaking of… hold on.” Up ahead, there was barely enough grass on the side of the road for me to help Ashryn. I pulled the parking brake and shoved the steering wheel all the way to the right. The car drifted to the side and spun around. Ashryn passed us, and I jammed the parking brake back down and pushed the gas just in time to pull up right behind her.
Zinnia clung to the bar above her head, her eyes wide with panic. Her hair flew in all directions, and her body jostled violently in the front seat. She pressed her lips together as if she were holding in a scream. The car fishtailed for a moment before straightening out.
“You okay?”
“I’m fine.” She looked anything but fine.
My head smacked back into the seat when the truck behind us slammed into my bumper. “Sure, you are.”
She held the phone up and started dialing. The Bluetooth took over, and the phone began to ring in the car.
“Hello?” Catherine answered sweetly.
“How could you not tell me I’m a witch?” Zinnia snapped. She glanced over her shoulder, then wound down the window.
“Zinnia?”
“No, your other daughter who you lied to for fifteen years!” She extended her arm out the widow and caught an energy ball, then tossed it over her shoulder almost mindlessly. The SUV swerved to miss the tiny explosion in the street.
“Where are you?” Catherine’s voice rose three octaves.
Zinnia swung her head around. “Right now? I’m in a high-speed car chase going to some place I’ve never heard of. You know why I don’t know about any of this stuff? Oh, that’s right, because you never told me.”
“Just come home, Zin. We can talk about all of this.” Catherine’s voice wavered, and she sucked in a sob. “I just wanted to keep you safe.”
“By not telling me anything?” she ground her teeth together.
I wanted to interject. I wanted to stop them from fighting, but how could I? Zinnia had her reasons for being angry, and I suspected it was her anger that was keeping her from being terrified. I wound my window down and tossed a fireball over my shoulder. It exploded with a bang.
“What was that?!” Catherine screeched into the phone.
“Fireball, mom.” Zinnia reached over and yanked the wheel to the side. The car lurched up on to the shoulder. A blue ball of magic exploded only a few feet from the driver’s door. She let go of the wheel and gazed forward.
“Oh god, they’re after you?” I could hear the fear in Catherine’s voice.
Up ahead, I saw the wavering water-like circle in the middle of the road. I pressed down on the gas. “Time to go, Zin.”
“Go! Go where? Where are you taking my daughter?” Catherine screamed into the phone.
“She’ll be safe. I vow it.”
Ashryn’s Jeep disappeared into the portal.
“Bye, Mom.” Zinnia hit the end button and pressed back into the seat, bracing herself. “If we live through this, you are going to answer all of my questions.”
I nodded. “If we live through this, you’ll have anything you want from me.”
We went through the portal. One second we were on a heavily wooded street, and in the next we were in the middle of a courtyard. In front of me, the Jeep had crashed into a large fountain. Smoke billowed from the engine, and water sprayed in all directions from the fountain. I shoved my foot down on the brakes as hard as I could, but it was too late. We hit the back of Ashryn’s Jeep, and the airbags exploded out, smacking me in the face. Zinnia screamed and batted at the smothering balloon. The back of the car rocked as something large smashed into it. Metal crushed around us. The back seat pressed us further into the dashboard. My legs were pinned, and my chest pressed into the steering wheel.
Blood trickled down the side of my face. I reached out, searching for Zinnia’s hand. “Zin, you okay?”
She groaned and sucked in a breath, then coughed. “I think so.”
Voices rushed toward us from outside. The driver’s door was yanked open, and Brax reached in and shoved my seat back. “Tuck, what happened?”
He extended his claw and slashed at my seat belt, freeing me. I grabbed his arm and let him drag me out into the courtyard. “Alataris’s henchmen happened.”
On the other side of the car, Grey was shoving pieces of metal away from Zin as Beckett pulled her from the wreckage. I stood up straight and spun in a small circle. All around me, people stopped and stared. The square structure had two floors surrounding the courtyard, and everyone had flooded from the classrooms to hang over the railings and take in the scene. The front half of an SUV was pinned against the back of my Audi.
I pointed to it and called to Beckett. “You closed the portal on them?”
He shrugged, then looped his arm around Zin’s back. “Only way to stop them.”
“Good thinking.” Now take your hands off my girl.
Zinnia clung to him like a lifeline. Her hair was matted and tousled in all different directions. Dirt and scrapes marred her face, and there was a large tear down the side of her pants. She closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath. “Let’s not do that again.”
The wind kicked up around us, and the sound of large wings flapping drew my attention to the sky. Shit. I stepped back to stand next to Brax. Pain shot through my ribs, and I wrapped my arm around my midsection. Zinnia came to my side, and the moment she was close enough, she let go of Beckett and stumbled into my arms. I wrapped my arm around her waist and held her against the side of my body.
“Is that a…”
“Fallen Angel…yeah.” I swallowed down my nerves.
Matteaus’s wings were hulking and pitch black. With each flap of his wings, wind flew up around us and dirt stung my eyes. Zinnia pressed her face into my chest, and for just a moment, everything felt like it was going to be okay.
>
When he landed, the ground dented beneath his feet. His wings were still extended as he crossed his hands over his barrel-like chest. I was used to being one of the biggest guys in the room, but standing across from Matteaus, who was nearly seven feet tall, I felt small in comparison. His hair was tousled with hues of brown, blond and red streaked through it. Around the courtyard, the girls who attended the school collectively sighed.
He narrowed those ocean blue eyes on me, and I knew I was in deep shit. “Matteaus I-”
He held his arms out to his sides cutting me of, then motioning to the wreckage. “Tucker Brand…is there a reason you decided to use my school as a parking lot?”
Chapter 9
Zinnia
My head was throbbing from my eyes all the way to the back of my neck. I leaned into Tuck, pressing my face into his chest. Please let it go away. Let it be a dream. But when I turned back to look around the courtyard, all eyes were still on us. Dozens of students stood around, pointing at the cars, pointing at Tuck and pointing at me. I squirmed under their gazes. Over the years, I’d become an expert at blending in, but lately it seemed all I was doing was standing out. Were they still looking at me, or were they staring at the huge angel standing as still as stone in front of us? He wasn’t what I pictured an angel to be. He had black, ominous wings as opposed to white ones, and where I thought I’d see peace in his face, all I could see was anger.
I coughed around the smoke. “Where are we?”
“Evermore Academy.” Tuck waved his hand in front of his face. “New York City.”
The cars stacked up against the fountain smoked and groaned. The smell of gas lingered in the air a moment before one of the engines sparked. Tuck’s car shot off of the ground, and an explosion of fire flared out toward us. I shrank away and threw my hands over my face. My pulse raced in my chest. Tuck yanked me behind him, but before the pillow of fire and smoke reached us, Matteaus held his hand up. The fire stopped dead, and when he twisted his hands, making a fist, the fire receded like I’d hit rewind on some action video.
Wicked Witch (The Royals: Witch Court Book 1) Page 7
