by Lana Melyan
“I have more.” I kept my eyes fixed on hers. “And I’ll use all of it to get him back.” Remembering the spells I had learned from my dad’s grimoire, I tried to pop the blood vessels in her head. Concentrating, I pierced her with a gaze. She cringed in pain, pressing her hands to her head.
The young guy attacked Connie again, and Logan flashed to him and fisted him in the face. The guy fell on the floor, but still on his back, he raised his hand, aiming it at Logan’s head. Logan moaned from the pain. The guy tried to get up, but Connie knocked him off his feet with a twist of her hand.
I let Vivian take a breath. “You may be strong and immortal, but you can’t stop me. Tell me where you have him.”
“Or you’ll do what?” She glared back at me. Then she pressed two fingers of her right hand together, pointed them at my chest, and stabbed the air.
A sudden pain pierced my heart as if someone had just put a knife through it. I pressed my hands to my chest and took a deep breath. Overcoming the pain, I bunched my hands into fists and crossed them before me.
“Enough!” I shouted, spreading my arms and bumping my fists against the air.
The whole room shuddered. The bottles of drinks, the caps, and the glasses exploded, sending shards flying across the room.
My chest still hurt. I clenched my teeth and squeezed my eyes shut. When I opened them and looked around, I saw that everyone was down. Some of them on the floor, the others on the tables or on the couches between them.
Brian sat under the front door. He had been hit by pieces of shattered glass, and several cuts on his face were bleeding. I rushed toward him, but he stopped me.
“Don’t worry, I’ll deal with it,” he said and held his glowing palm over his face.
My eyes moved around, looking for Connie. She had bumped her head against the table behind her but otherwise seemed okay.
“Like I said, I need a damn helmet,” she grumbled, rubbing the nape of her neck.
The man bitten by Logan was still weak, crouched on the floor, bleeding. The other three were healing their cuts, leaning against the walls not far from each other.
Sam had a few scratches. Logan’s cuts were healing, and so were Vivian’s. Vivian pulled herself up from the floor, but the moment she got to her feet, I sent her flying across the room. She hit the wall and collapsed. I dashed toward her.
“Guys, keep your eyes on the others.” I bent down to Vivian. “Where is Nate? Where do you keep him?”
“Who the hell are you?” She gaped at me.
“Oh, sorry, did I forget to introduce myself?” I said mockingly. I took off my jacket, pulled out the sword, and pressed its tip to her throat. “I’m Nicky Callahan, Vincent’s daughter. Nice to meet you.”
Her eyes egg-size, Vivian stared at me. “What?”
“Yeah, I know.” I scoffed.
The blond, short man jumped to his feet, but Sam threw his hand before him, pinning the man to the passage wall. The bitten man managed to stop the bleeding. He was getting onto his feet, aiming his hand at Sam’s back. Logan flashed toward him and knocked him out.
Brian held his hand above the tall man he had been fighting, who now sat on the floor, leaning against the side of a couch and cringing with pain.
Connie stood staring at the young guy, ready for attack. He had been standing next to the bar when I blew it up and was now covered in alcohol.
“If you move,” said Connie, gazing at him ominously, “I’ll set you on fire.”
“Now.” I fixed my eyes on Vivian’s. “Where’s Nathan Cain?”
“I put the cloaking spell around him myself.” Vivian swallowed. “You’ll never find him.”
“So if I kill you, the spell will be broken.” I chuckled. “Thanks for the hint.”
“You can’t kill me.”
“Do you want me to prove you wrong?” I pushed the sword deeper, and beads of blood showed up on her throat.
Vivian stared at the incantations on the sword, then her eyes moved to the symbol on its handle.
“Ethan!” she shouted.
“Ethan can’t help you.”
She jumped to her feet. The sword slid down her throat, cutting it open. I stared at her wound. The blood burst out, but the next moment it was healing. Nate was right; a simple cut wouldn’t do the trick.
I was distracted, and Vivian seized the moment. She drew closer and slammed her hand against my chest. My insides burned, and I cringed in pain. Moaning, I dropped to one knee.
“Nicky!” Sam spun around.
“You are lucky we need you,” hissed Vivian. “So I’m not going to kill you just yet.”
Still holding the sword, I clutched it with both hands and thrust it into her foot. She released a short scream, and as I pulled the blade out, she staggered backward.
“You’re not going to kill me. Period,” I snapped. I swung the sword, and this time thrust it into her chest. “Vita tua mea est.” I uttered the incantation through my gritted teeth. My hands shook, but I kept the sword intact.
Her look frozen in horror, Vivian dropped dead.
“Vivian!” I heard a scream behind me.
“Nicky!” came Brian’s terrified voice. “What have you done?”
I knew he wasn’t talking about Vivian. He understood the incantation. He was the only one who did.
A powerful wave of energy went through me, shuddering my whole body, burning my veins. My head spun, and I swayed. Brian caught me, lowering me onto the floor and leaning my head against the wall.
“You foolish girl,” murmured Brian with bitterness and pity in his voice. Both of us stared at the veins turning black on my arms. “What have you done?”
“What I had to do to save Nate. I can’t lose him too,” I whispered, tears burning my eyes. “She could’ve killed me just now. Or someone else can. I can’t let that happen.” I gulped some air. “I can’t die. I have to finish this war.”
“Nicky, I’m so sorry,” Brian whispered, brushing my hair.
I could hear the others fighting. “It’s okay, Brian.” I handed him the sword. “Go help them. I’ll be fine.”
I was eighteen and could go anywhere I wanted, leave behind everything that had happened, change my name and start a new life. But instead, I chose to fight because I couldn’t forget what they had taken from me, from all of us.
I was bound to this mission by my responsibilities to the magical world, by obligations inherited from my family, which I had known nothing about only a few months ago. And now, I had sacrificed my last chance to have a normal, human life.
Fresh tears blurred my view.
But I had Nate, who would be very angry with me at first. But he’d get over it, and then, together, we would finish this war.
I’m coming for you, my love. Nothing and no one can stop me now.
My eyelids slid closed.
Also by Lana Melyan
THE WEIGHT OF MAGIC
The Last Secret –– episode 8
The Eternity Road Trilogy
The Eternity Road–– book 1
The Return–– book 2
The Keeper Of The Book–– book 3
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