Something Wicked (Here Witchy Witchy Book 11)

by A. L. Kessler

  It cut her rope off me and her magic faded out. She frowned. “How did you get your magic back?”

  “Your spell must have worn off.” I shrugged one shoulder. “Maybe you’re not as strong as you pretend to be.”

  She threw something at my circle, a magical blast of some sort, and it bounced off. I was glad to see that my magic circle was still damn good. I hadn’t strained my magic since she had decided to drain it.

  “So you’re just going to hide in your circle? Until what? You can’t go anywhere, Abigail. You’re weak. Your circle will come down, and I think I’ll just kill you.” She snarled.

  “Except that’s not what Samuel wants, is it?” I asked, taking a stab in the dark. “If you or Christof wanted me dead, there were plenty of times to do it.”

  She hesitated for a moment.

  “You didn’t know I knew about Samuel, did you?”

  “Nick said you had no idea about him.”

  I snorted. “Nick doesn’t know everything.” I let my circle down and summoned my magical whip. I snapped it at her, but she motioned with her arm and it hit a barrier.

  This was just going to end up being a back and forth until one of us screwed up. I needed to trap her and keep her there.

  Physical circles were best for that because she could probably break out of one of my other ones. She ran toward me with her hand outstretched, pulling me out of my strategic thought. I didn’t want her touching me because I knew that touch could focus her magic. I snapped the whip and jumped back, cringing when I hit a wound from before. Fuck.

  She laughed. “Samuel sees something in you. Before, he wanted us to take out all the Collins. Seth agreed because of the demon summoning and the work he knew the Collins did for Ira.” She stalked towards me and I backed up into a wall.

  Her magic reached out from her, brushing up against my aura, making me feel heavy and slow. She paused, tilting her head to the side. “Someone fixed that hole, I see.”

  Thank the goddess for Melisandra. “Yeah, thanks to you trying to use it to kill me.” I called my own magic up and it pushed hers away.

  She tilted her head to the other side. “Time to rip another hole then.” Her magic came at me again, this time stronger. I threw up a circle and a physical rip came through the purple, splitting it to each side like someone parting water.

  It hit me in the chest, and I cried out. The world spun, and I snarled. I would not let her take me down. Trap. Not kill. Bring her in. I reminded myself.

  I scrapped my fingers over one of my wounds, bringing up fresh blood. I wiped it on the floor and looked at her. I let the Latin words for the spell flow out of my mouth and a red circle wrapped around her. Red chains crawled up her body, grabbing her wrists and pulling her down, trapping her to the ground. “You’re not the only one who knows some nasty spells.”

  “Abigail Collins, using black magic, just like her mother.”

  I took a moment to catch my breath. “It’s only black magic if I use it to kill you.” I snorted. “Gray lines and all that jazz.”

  I scooted around her and went back to Simon’s cell. He was still in wolf form, but he seemed to be healing better. I assumed he stayed in the form because he’d be naked if he’d shifted out of it, but I would have liked some communication from him. I put my hand against the bar and called my elemental magic again, starting to melt through it.

  “Would you like some help?” Nick’s voice had me turning and swiping at him with flames.

  He jumped back, hitting himself against the cell across the long hallway. He held his hands up and motioned to Annabella. “Nice trick.”

  “I’m full of them,” I muttered. “You were feeding them information.”

  “Just enough to keep them satisfied,” he promised.

  That was true. “I’m hurt, Simon’s hurt, and we need to get out of here before your father comes back.”

  Nick nodded in agreement. “I have to stay here. If I leave, he’ll just have Annabella call me back.”

  I’d have to go back to Melisandra to have her patch my aura again, so Annabella couldn’t call me back as well. My body was already starting to feel achy. I couldn’t afford to be weak right now, though.

  Nick pulled out a key and opened the cell door that I’d partially melted through.

  I glared at him, and Simon limped out, snarling at Nick. Nick held his hands up. “I get it. Now come on.” He started down the opposite end of the hall towards the door.

  I paused as Nick walked through the door and turned left. “That’s the way to the office.”

  “Yes, which is near the exit. Remember how he said we were going to have visitors. That’s why he moved you.”

  To make sure it was clear in case someone investigated. Great. Nick walked through the stone hall, which changed after a doorframe into normal drywall. Like someone had added on to the structure later. Simon stayed by my side the whole time. I kept a hand on his head as we moved through the unfamiliar hall.

  Nick held his hand up. “Hold on, let me check something really quick.”

  I nodded and waited with Simon, holding my breath. Nick slipped through the door in front of us. I watched that door and Simon turned so he had our backs. My heart pounded, and I swore I could hear it in the hall's silence.

  “Abigail, duck.” Nick’s voice rang out, and I ducked and turned away from the door right as it splintered against us.

  I spun back around to see Nick pinned against the wall with an invisible force. Christof stood in the middle of the room with a grin.

  “Abigail, you’re a lot more resourceful than I give you credit for. How did you manage to get past Annabella?”

  I didn’t answer him. I threw up a circle around him, but the moment the red closed itself it snapped and disappeared.

  Fuck.

  Simon snarled beside me, and before I could say anything, he launched himself at Christof. Christof growled as Simon grabbed his wrist, tearing him down to the ground.

  Christof threw Simon off, but Simon landed on his feet in a crouch. Blood dripped off Christof’s wrist and he smiled as his magic pulsed in the room.

  “Your wolf just made a huge mistake. My blood is added to the magic now.” Christof stomped his foot on the ground, shoving magic down. Red shot around Simon and closed in on him.

  “Say goodbye to your wolf.” Christof met my gaze. “I have no problems killing with magic.

  I pulled my magic down. “Don’t. Let him go.”

  Christof’s magic hesitated. “What’s in it for me?”

  “I know the spells on the desk. I can finish translating them. The first one is used to extend life, the second one is to cause a true death from a distance. I just need to complete them.” My voice shook. “And I’ll comply. Just don’t kill him.”

  Nick and Simon both looked at me. It was a moment of weakness that I couldn’t really afford, but I knew PIB would be coming, possibly sooner since Balin had already visited.

  Christof relaxed the circle around Simon. A second later, one shot up around me. “Back to the cell for you, wolf.”

  Simon limped past me with Christof right there. He paused and looked at me.

  “I’ll be okay. Go.”

  Simon continued to walk with Christof out of the room.

  “You played right into his hand, Abby.” Nick said from his spot against the wall. “He has everything he wants now.”

  I sighed. “I would have done the same for you.”

  “Because you don’t want blood on your hands.”

  “Because I’ve lost too many people,” I answered honestly. “I don’t want to see anyone else die. Especially not in circumstances like this.” I snorted. “Oliver once told me he set me up against an enemy because I was more likely to survive. I don’t know if I’m going to make it out of this situation as a witch.”

  Nick was quiet, not asking what I meant. We just stayed there, two magical people who couldn’t do anything to help their current situation.

  #
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  It wasn’t Christof that came back, but Annabella. She walked up to Christof’s circle and stared at me. “You’re a little bitch.” She snarled. “I couldn’t break your circle. Christof had to use blood to do it.”

  I shrugged. “I won’t apologize that you were too weak to break it.”

  She reached through the circle and grabbed the chain around my neck. She yanked it, breaking it off. “I don’t know how you got this back, but I refuse to let you have it.”

  I shiver crawled over me as my protective magic left me. I wasn’t powerless though, not yet. The most they had over me was Simon right now. I’d play the game until I knew I could get him to safety.

  She put a hand at the base of my throat and laughed. “I ripped a pretty big hole again.”

  Fuck. I’d almost forgotten about that. I was fucked. I felt her magic slither in and wrap around me.

  “Remember, Abigail. I own you. No one will be able to save you this time. You will complete those spells for us, and then we’ll hand you over to Samuel where you belong.”

  “I don’t belong to that bloodsucker,” I growled, trying to force her magic out of me with mine like I’d done before, but each time I pushed some, her magic seemed to just absorb it.

  She leaned forward. “Ira promised you to him. In replacement for Levi.”

  I frowned. “No, Christof was going to kill me that night. He said Samuel wanted all the Collins dead.”

  “But you’re not a Collins, are you Abigail?” she whispered, and it sounded more like her voice was in my head.

  Nick glanced at me, and I closed my eyes. “I. Am. A. Collins,” I growled out.

  “Annabella Louise, what did I tell you about playing with her?” Christof walked back into the room. “Please get her to the office and to work. Simon is back in his cell. We’ll keep him for a little longer to make sure Abigail isn’t bluffing about working for us in exchange for his life.”

  Annabella’s magic pulled away from me, and I could breathe again. My body relaxed a little and the red circle fell down around me. Christof gave me a small smile that reminded me of Nick.

  “Come on now, back to the office.”

  I nodded and followed him back through the stone part of the building and into the office. I sat down at the desk without saying a word and started to work on the spells, flipping through various notes.

  Annabella’s words ate at the back of my brain. Ira had promised me to Samuel in place of Levi.

  I had no idea what it meant, and I would have to ask Levi when I got out of here. If I got out of here. I took a deep breath.

  “Can I have some coffee? Or food? Something?” I asked, knowing that Annabella was at my back.

  “Once Christof finishes with Nick, I’ll have him bring you dinner.” She sounded bored.

  Dinner. We were into the evening, that was good. It meant that PIB would come in a few short hours, and Levi would wake for the day.

  I smirked a little, imagining Levi tearing Annabella limb from limb. Except Levi had no idea that any of this was going down. Had I known it was so closely related to Samuel, I probably would have let him know where I was at least.

  I continued working on the runes, purposely leaving things out to keep the spells from working properly. I didn’t want this in anyone’s hands, and the first thing I was going to do when I got out of here was destroy the pictures and anything else that led to spells like this.

  I paused as I got to a point. The two spells were actually one.

  The death would feed the life. It could turn into a continuous circle to sustain someone’s life. True life magic. My stomach sank. I’d dealt with some nasty things, but this would take the cake if I had to deal with it on the field.

  “Something interesting, Abigail?” Annabella leaned over my shoulder.

  “No.”

  “You stopped looking and writing.”

  “I felt my stomach growl and had to think about when the last time I ate was. That’s all.” I shrugged. “I mean, Merick brought me here what? A little after breakfast? And now you said Nick will be bringing me dinner. You banged me up pretty good earlier, so did Christof. Really, I just want food.” I shrugged. “And coffee.”

  The door opened, and I looked over my shoulder to see Christof walk in instead of Nick. He had a tray in his hands.

  “Nick is currently busy. I thought I’d bring you something to eat. Annabella said you were making progress.”

  I nodded. “But I can’t think on an empty stomach.” I stacked up my notes and the images making room for the tray.

  He snatched my notes from the desk and started to read through them. “Your Latin is flawless.”

  I didn’t say anything. I focused on the food in front of me and wondered if there was a chance that I was going to die of poison or not. In the end, I decided that if they wanted me dead, they’d wait until they got what they wanted.

  I ate the chicken salad slowly, trying to buy more time and trying to calculate how much had passed. Merick brought me at a quarter after nine. Rounding it up to ten meant that PIB would come around ten tonight. I still had a while.

  Christof put the notes down next to the tray. “Eat up and get back to work.”

  I was about to give him a sarcastic look when the entire room shook. We all jerked at the shock, and the coffee on the tray sloshed over on my notes.

  I let out a very convincing ‘Gah!’ and went to dry them off when Christof snagged me by the collar of my shirt.

  “What have you done?”

  I shook my head. “You were standing right here. I didn’t do anything.”

  His magic snaked around me. I felt it slither through the hole in my aura. It was damn near painful. I met his gaze. “You and Annabella would have felt my magic surge.”

  He glanced at Annabella, and I don’t know what he saw in her face, but his magic pulled out. I rubbed my arms, trying to clear the icky feeling away.

  “Nicolas,” Christof growled and disappeared from the room. Annabella stood by the door as if she was worried I was going to make a run for it.

  I didn’t know what was waiting on the other side of that door, but I was willing to bet I was safer in here.

  I continued to clean up the coffee with the napkin and let out a sigh. Most of the words were runny and unreadable now.

  Outside I showed I was irritated. Inside, I was happy it worked out and caused another hold up on the spell translation.

  #

  I’d finished eating and was working on rewriting the ruined parts of the spells when Christof came back in the room.

  “Nicolas and the wolf are gone.”

  Both Annabella and I turned to him. I fought the smile on my face. I assumed Nick got Simon to safety, but if I smiled, I felt like it would hint that I knew Nick planned on it. I had no idea, and honestly, I was just happy I had one less thing to worry about. I could fight without them threatening Simon.

  “I’ll call Nick back to me,” Annabella said easily. “He’ll pay for his treason.”

  “No, he’s a lost cause at this point.” He turned to me. “You on the other hand.” He stalked toward me.

  I raised a brow. “Me? I didn’t go anywhere. I’ve done what you’ve asked.”

  “And you will continue to.” His magic slid toward me again, and I threw up a circle.

  “No, I don’t think I will.”

  “You fight against us, you’re dead.”

  “Samuel doesn’t want me dead, remember?” I threw back at him. “So we’re at an impasse here. I won’t finish your spell and you can’t kill me.”

  Annabella stepped up next to Christof. “It doesn’t mean we can’t hurt you.”

  I felt her magic push against my circle, just enough to test it. I knew from a distance she couldn’t break it, but earlier in the hall she’d sliced right through it. I focused on the door behind them. I could get past them and into the hallway. It would basically bottleneck them because it was so narrow. They wouldn’t be able to use their
magic without hitting the other one.

  I’d have to drop my circle, though. I hadn’t mastered using the spell in the circle. Which would make me vulnerable to Annabella’s magic. There wasn’t a good choice here. I prepared for the spell, dropped the circle, and went for it.

  I reached for the door as soon as I appeared in front of it, and then I was back by the desk. What the fuck?

  Annabella laughed. “I own you, remember?”

  I felt the magic around me again. The world around me blurred as it spun, but I couldn’t let her take me down. I called on my fire, something I knew she couldn’t control. That was mine and mine alone.

  I threw a fireball at her, but Christof blocked it. It disappeared in his hand as he closed his fingers.

  Nick wasn’t an elemental. Devon was. Which meant there was a chance that Christof was the elemental of the family.

  Christof smiled. “Just like Devon. No wonder you could take him down.”

  Oh no.

  “You let a human keep your son and bind his abilities. It’s because of that that Devon went insane.”

  Christof snarled at me and took a step forward. “His mother ran off with him and made that choice on her own. By the time I found him, he was under Seth’s hand and then he went AWOL. I sent Nicolas after him. Only to find out that Devon was on his little revenge mission.” Blue fire appeared in his hand. “And by that point, PIB was already after him. Then you killed him.”

  I wasn’t going to mention it was because Devon had me backed against the wall. Sometimes anger could cloud a person’s judgment and they would make a mistake. That’s what I was waiting for here.

  He threw the fire at me, and I jumped to the side. It hit the desk, and I smirked as everything caught on fire. I held my hand up and summoned another fire ball. He focused on that while I fed my energy into the fire behind me.

  It was one of the things Oliver and I had worked on, controlling two fires at once. It took focus, but it was going to be worth it when the fire destroyed everything on the desk.

  I felt Annabella’s magic inside my aura again, trying to pull me down, trying to snag the spark of my magic. I tried to push her out, but I couldn’t keep her out forever. I needed to take her down again like before and keep Christof busy so he couldn’t get her out.