Tucker
I reached over and dragged Beckett next to me. “What the hell is happening?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know. It doesn’t usually go like this.”
Zinnia’s ear-splitting screams echoed around the room. The witches didn’t stop chanting. White power seeped into her body, and she was glowing like a freaking firecracker about to go off.
I stepped away from the wall. “We have to stop this.”
Beckett yanked me back. “If you do, it will kill her.”
“If I don’t, it will kill her!”
A circle of magic swirled around the queens, and power drifted in toward Zinnia. Her body convulsed wildly, blood poured from the bindings at her wrist and ankles. Sweat matted her hair. Nova’s eyes rolled into the back of her head, and she fell to the ground. Followed by Serrina, Tabi and Adrienne.
Beckett pushed forward. “She’s draining them.”
The witches closest to her were the next to fall to the ground. Their silver robes looked like loose blankets piled around the floor.
I fisted his shirt and yanked him to me. “What do we do?”
“I—I don’t know.”
A single figure ran to the altar, climbing up next to Zinnia. When she threw back her hood, I was shocked to see Catherine, Zinnia’s mother, lying over her daughter. She pressed her hands to both sides of Zinnia’s face. “Zinnia baby, you have to stop this.”
Zin’s body twitched on the stone top. “Mom, I can’t see you.”
Tears ran down Catherine’s face. “I’m here, I’m here. You have to stop now. Fight this, Zinnia. Don’t take all the power.”
“Mom, it hurts so much.” She sobbed, and her tears dripped from her face down into her hair.
Before my eyes, Catherine’s dark brown hair became streaked with gray streaming back from her temples. Her eyes rolled back in her head. “Zinnia, fight thi—”
Her body tipped to the side and crashed down to the floor. I summoned my sword and stepped forward.
Beckett pressed his hand to my chest. “What are you gonna do?”
“If it’s power she needs to drain, then it’s power she’ll get.” I forced the wings from my back and sprang forward. The wind kicked up in the room, and the magic swirled around her like a tornado. Bolts of power forked out over her. I leapt up on top of the altar and slashed my swords at her bindings, freeing her. I bent low, scooping her up into my arms. “Zinnia, focus, focus on the sound of my voice.”
Her sapphire eyes met mine, and she whispered, “Kill me.”
I pulled her into my chest. “I can’t. Just use this.” I let the scorching burn loose from my body. “Focus on the fire, Zin. Use it to push the magic out. Get it all out.”
The flames swirled around us, and that’s when I felt it, the first gut-wrenching pull of my power. I’d never experienced anything like it. It was as if I was being ripped apart from the inside out. Fire surrounded us in a swirling sphere. “That’s it. Do what you have to do. Fight it off.”
Magic shot from her in waves of power, pinning the other knights against the wall. She wrapped her arms around my shoulders. “Tuck?”
Her little fingers pressed into my skin, clinging to me. Black dots swarmed my vision, but I fought to hold on. “I’m here, you can stop this now. I know you can.”
She nodded her head, then closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath. I felt the powers being pushed from her body back into the witches around her. It was like trying to hold onto a vacuum thrown into reverse. Yet my own power felt completely drained. My arms where heavy around her. She clung to me hard, and I could feel my body going limp in her arms. The room spun and tilted sideways. Zinnia threw her head back, screaming once more. As the last of the power left her body, it shot me across the room. My back slammed into the stone wall, and my head snapped back, cracking against it. Pain exploded through my body, and I fell to the floor in a limp heap. The last sight I saw was Grayson and Brax hovering over me, and then nothing.
Chapter 20
Zinnia
The muscles in my back ached from sitting in one position for too long. Tuck had been lying in a bed, still as a statue for hours now, and with each passing moment, my concern for him grew more and more. I hadn’t expected the pain or the power that came during the Ascending. It’d taken on a life of its own.
Niche pushed the flap to the tent open and stepped through, with her clipboard in hand. “How is he?”
“The same, I think. He hasn’t moved at all.” I reached out and took his hand in mine. The tent was cool to the point where the tip of my nose and fingers were freezing. Tuck was like a heater lying under those scratchy wool blankets.
Niche narrowed her eyes at our joined fingers. “And how are you feeling?”
“You mean after I drained half the kingdom of power and then put it all back?” I smacked my head down on the bed, then lifted my other hand into the air and gave a thumbs up. “Greeeaaattt.”
“These things do happen on occasion.”
I sat back and gave her a deadpan stare. “Do they? Do they really?”
“Um, no, not really.” She clutched her clipboard closer to her chest. “There is one thing I do have to mention to you, if it hasn’t been brought up already.”
I press my hand to my forehead, wanting this conversation to be over, wanting this whole thing to be forgotten. “What’s that?”
“The reason relationships between queens and their knights is forbidden is because it impairs the judgement of both parties. We are in a fight for the world of Evermore, and any little thing could derail our chances of winning.” She pushed her glasses further up her nose. “And frankly, I plan on winning this cycle, as opposed to every other cycle where the other queens died alongside their knights.”
I pulled my hand away from Tuck’s. “I understand.”
“Do you? Because you two have been awfully close lately, and I’m not sure I’m comfortable with it.” Her eyes darted back and forth from Tuck to me.
I shifted under her gaze. I didn’t want to disappoint anyone or ruin our chance of beating Alataris. But the thought of staying away from Tuck was unbearable to me. He’d saved us all during my Ascending. If it wasn’t for the connection we shared, no one would be standing here. I was like a nuclear bomb that would’ve gone off instantly.
“Yes, I hear what you’re saying.” I hear it, but I don’t accept it.
“Very well. Please notify me the moment he wakes. You have a quest to prepare for.” She turned to leave the tent.
“Wait…you’re still sending him? He needs time to recover.”
She looked over her shoulder at me. “Time is something we don’t have.” With that, she walked out of the tent, leaving us alone once more. I focused on the steady rise and fall of his chest as the time ticked by. I fluffed the pillow behind his head and checked to make sure the blankets on his cot were keeping him cozy.
When his fingers twitched, I shot to my feet. “Tucker?”
His brow furrowed, and he pressed his palm to his eye. “Ouch.”
I forced myself to sit back in the chair. “Oh god, I’m so sorry.”
He rolled to his side and groaned. “What happened?”
“I Ascended.” When his eyes flashed open, I twirled my hand and shot a little ball of magic into the air. “Yay, I guess?”
He sat up slowly, then swung his feet to the ground and turned to face me. “How long have I been out?”
“Almost all day.” A long and torturous day. “I—I thought I killed you.”
He reached out and placed his hand on my shoulder. “Oh, Zin, it’ll take a lot more than a bump on the head to take me down.”
“I’m so sorry. I really thought…” The words died in my throat. And I didn’t know what came over me. I launched myself at him and threw my arms around his neck. When I pulled his firm lips against mine, energy shot through my body and I melted on the spot. He wrapped his arm around my waist and dragged me closer to him. I stood between his legs, in h
is embrace, and heat flooded my body. His fingers dug into my back, and when his tongue danced with mine, I thought I would set the tent on fire.
Tuck pulled away. “Um, Zin.”
I pressed kisses to his cheek and neck. “What?”
“Fire.” He mumbled against my ear.
“Huh?”
He pointed to the corner of the tent. “Fire!”
I sprung away from him and ran toward the flames. I tried to pat them out. “Damn it.”
Tuck rose to his feet and lumbered up next to me. He extended his hand out in front of him and then made a fist, and the flames instantly went out. “Did you, by any chance, retain some of my powers?”
I looked down at my hands. “I must have. I thought Siphon Witches could only take powers from other witches, but I’ve been able to take it from you anytime I wanted. Why do you think that is?”
He glanced away. “Must’ve been the Ascending.”
Was he lying to me? Hiding something? “Oh. Yeah, maybe.”
When he turned back to me, his face was a mask of seriousness. “I heard Niche in here before.”
I shuffled from one foot to the other. “You heard that?”
“Yeah, and she’s not wrong, Zin. We can’t do this.” He motioned between us. “We can’t be a couple.” He hopped down off the bed.
I took a small step back. “But you like me. I can feel it.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “If everyone thinks we could die, why not live life to the fullest while we can?”
The muscle in his jaw ticked. “Because my goal, my job in all of this, is to make sure we don’t die.” He turned away from me. “I think I need a moment to get myself together before we leave.”
“You can’t be serious. You’re going to go on a quest now, when you have a concussion?”
“I have no other choice. If I don’t, then Hexia will fall.” He unbuttoned his silver button-down shirt and let it drop from his shoulders. The muscles in his back flexed each time he moved, and I found myself transfixed to his tan skin.
He glanced over his shoulder. “I’m going to get ready now.”
I stumbled backward, unable to take my eyes off his tattoo, off his skin…off of him.
Chapter 21
Tucker
At the mouth of the Crystal Caves, I waited for the rest of the queens to show up. Beckett stood beside me looking me up and down, yet not saying a word. I glared at him. “What?”
“Don’t you think it’s odd?”
“What?” I looked deep into the dark cave. Veins of purple crystal glowed from within. Would there be things down there we’ve never faced before? If so, what?
Beckett cleared his throat, drawing my attention. “The fact that Zinnia was able to siphon power from you when we all know Siphon Witches can only siphon magic from other witches. Unless…”
“Unless what?” Did he know? Was he going to try to push me out?
“Unless it’s from their soulmate. Because I read somewhere that soulmates could share power.” He crossed his arms over his chest and rocked back on his heels.
“Psh, soulmates are always within the same species. It’d be impossible.” I shrugged, playing it off. Or hoping I was playing it off. “It had to have been the Ascending that made everything go haywire.”
Beckett nodded and then clapped me on the shoulder. “Sure, it was the Ascending.” He glanced down at the leather cuff I’d taken to wearing the moment that mark showed up. “Nice bracelet.”
“Thanks.” I narrowed my eyes at him. Was he challenging me? Did he want Zinnia for himself? Why would he be bringing this up now?
Before I could question him, Grayson joined us. “Hello, gents. Are we ready to go deep underground and all that good stuff?”
“I thought you were used to going underground,” I teased, trying to draw the attention away from me and Zinnia.
Grayson held his hand out to his sides. “What, because I’m a vampire?” He pressed his hand to his chest. “I’m offended. I’ve never been in a coffin in my life.”
I shrugged. “There’s always a first time for everything.”
Just then, Zinnia walked by the rest of us and climbed onto the wooden platform that was hooked onto the pulley system that would lower us down. Her hair was pulled up into a high ponytail, and she wore jeans, hiking boots and a black tank top under her leather jacket.
She looked past me to the rest of the knights. “Are we ready?”
Serrina, Nova and Tabi came out of a tent just across the way and also climbed onto the platform. Except they didn’t stand next to Zinnia. No, they stood as far away from her as they could get.
She gave them a sideways glance, and for a moment I thought I saw a flash of hurt cross her face. It was gone in an instant, and she squared her shoulders and stared forward. “Where’s Adrienne?”
“Still recovering. Ashryn is helping her to rebuild her strength after the Ascending.” Nova gave Zinnia an accusing look, then turned away.
Grayson leaned to the side and whispered to Brax. “I reckon they’re all a little scared of her now.”
“Da.” Brax patted his chest. “Not me.” He strode forward and stepped onto the platform. It swung under his weight, yet he moved to stand next to Zinnia. Her shoulders visibly relaxed the moment he started talking to her. I wanted to be the one to take away that tension, that hurt she felt.
Beckett was the next to step up on the platform. “You ready, Phoenix?”
Grayson raced up, and in a blur, he stood at the center of them all. “Yes, lets get a move on. Can’t stand there being a pretty bird all day long.”
I chuckled under my breath. “I’m ready, baby leech.”
Zinnia
The wood-planked platform creaked and groaned as we descended further down into the cave. Crystals of all shapes and sizes jutted from the ground in an array of rainbow colors. The smell of damp earth mixed with the sea surrounded me. The pulley system above my head vibrated as the rope slid through it. Silence hung between us all. The other queens were scared of me now, and in truth I’d be scared of me, too, if I were them. Last night, I’d taken their powers so easily, nearly draining them dry. It was a horrible mistake, but a mistake nonetheless. Even my mother hadn’t recovered just yet. I had so many questions for her, but she was sleeping off the effects of my Ascending.
The midday light from the top of the cave was a pinprick in the darkness. If the crystals surrounding the cave hadn’t been glowing different colors, then we wouldn’t be able to see each other. Tucker stood a little ways away from me with his back toward me. He whispered intently with Serrina, Nova and Tabitha. Though they seemed unconvinced by what he was saying, they all nodded in understanding. Are they talking about me?
The sound of something snapping drew my attention. “Guys, we have a problem.”
There was another snap, and then the platform dropped ten feet. Snap. Another ten feet. I took a small step closer to Brax. “You okay?”
His throat bobbed. “Yes.”
“No one move.” Tuck held his hand out to the rest of us, signaling for us not to budge. The platform bobbed up and down like a buoy in the ocean.
The last bit of thread holding us up began to fray. “Tuck, we need a plan. Not all of us have wings of fire.”
“Working on it. Beckett, can you make a platform?”
Becks held his hands together, creating a small ball of light. He started to expand it outward like a disk. “I can, but it won’t be big enough to hold us all.”
I pointed toward Nova, Serrina and Tabitha. “You’re closest to them. You guys take it.”
“Zin, no. We need you, too.” Serrina reached her hand out toward me and took a small step forward. The platform dropped out from under my feet. Beckett threw his disk under the other queens, catching them. I leapt up and grabbed a piece of the rope. My hands wrapped around the fraying ends, and I went flying toward the cave wall. It rubbed up against my skin, burning it painfully, yet I didn’t let go. Beckett dove to the s
ide. As I plummeted into the darkness, I saw his legs hanging off his blue disk. I pressed my lips together, refusing to scream. The jagged points of the crystals stuck out at me. Visions of my body smacking into them ran through my mind. I squeezed my eyes closed and turned my body and held my hand out. Fire shot from my palm like a flame thrower, slowing me down. I bumped up against the wall, barely hitting it.
Tuck sailed up next to me, his flaming wings flapping casually at his back. “Nice flames.”
The rope cut into my hand, and blood started to trickle down my arm. “Thanks for letting me borrow them.”
Sweat beaded his face. “Need a lift?”
Dangling from one of his hands was Gray, and from the other was Brax. I looked a the three of them. “Aren’t you a bit loaded down at the moment?”
Gray held his hand out to me. “Come on, then. I’ll catch you.”
I looked down at the never-ending tunnel, then back up at Gray. “You want me to jump? Are you insane?”
His face turned red with exertion. “Zin, now.”
I shoved my feet against the wall and pushed out toward them. Gray wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me into him.
Tucker grunted, and we began to drift down toward the bottom. “Just hold on.”
Tense moments of silence surrounded us as we floated to the bottom of the cave. Ten feet from the floor, I could make out Nova’s white blond hair in the dark. When my feet hit the ground, I sucked in a relieved sigh.
Grayson dropped down beside me. “Let’s not do that again. Shall we?” His British accent made everything seem so proper to me, even though every sentence that came out of his mouth was sarcastic.
“Definitely not.” The hard-packed dirt crunched under my boot as I stepped forward.
Tuck was by my side in an instant. He held his arm out across my body. “Maybe let me go first.”
I rolled my eyes and pushed past him. “Oh, please.”
To say I was a little hurt by his earlier rejection was an understatement. Yes, he’d just caught me and helped me. But that didn’t change the fact that I was still upset. I knew he felt the same way about me that I felt about him, yet he wanted to deny it because of some stupid rule.
Wicked Witch (The Royals: Witch Court Book 1) Page 14
