“So the book will be safe if I have to hand it over?” Annora hugged it to her chest, concerned what other people would try to do if they got their hands on the spells. She’d rather destroy it than allow it to fall into the wrong hands again.
Edgar glanced out the window and nodded. “If they take it, you should be able to simply walk into the afterworld and find it waiting.”
Relief poured through her, and she tightened her grip on the book, ridiculously pleased to know she literally couldn’t lose her last connection to her mother. Her mother had handpicked the spells for her, because she thought Annora would need them. Annora only wished she had more time to go through them, time to look for a solution where no one would get hurt.
She gave him a crooked smile and patted his chest. “Thank you.”
He reached up and grabbed her wrist, pressed her hand to his chest over his heart, then glanced out the window, his face hardening. “I’ll keep watch over you. If you call for me, I will come.”
Then he was gone, striding out to join the others. Annora took a deep breath and followed.
They were going to do this.
They were going after her childhood boogeyman and finally find a way to destroy the fucker so he couldn’t touch her or anyone else again.
As the groups began to get into their vehicles, Sadie approached her, her expression both unsure and annoyed. “Where do you want me?”
Annora hadn’t been sure the girl would actually keep her word. “I believe the guys are walking into a trap. Will you watch their backs and protect them?”
Sadie glanced at her sharply. “Why not just go in and kill your enemy? Between you and Alcott—”
“Edgar,” Annora snapped and glared at the girl.
Sadie sighed heavily and crossed her arms. “Between you and Edgar, you can be in and out in seconds.”
“Not all paranormals are stupid—they’ll have an army waiting for us.” Annora was annoyed at the girl for being so heartless, not sure she wanted to know more about phantoms if they were all like her. “Besides, they’re holding one of my men. I won’t leave him behind.”
“So you’d rather put the rest of your mates in danger instead?” Sadie gave her a disapproving look and shook her head, completely baffled.
Instead of being offended, Annora gave her a pitying look. “You never leave family behind.”
“They can’t be allowed access to the afterworld,” Sadie warned, then strode away.
Annora watched her and didn’t have to wonder what would happen if she was taken.
Sadie would find and kill rather than let her power fall into the wrong hands.
Terrance took the steps up the deck two at a time, holding his phone out for her, the front displaying a picture of trees. “He said you should be able to find this place.”
“Is Kevin—”
“He’s okay for now.” But Terrance looked worried, frown lines leaving deep grooves between his eyes.
“We’ll get him out,” Annora promised, but felt helpless as she watched the vehicles start to pull out onto the road, her skin itching at the idea of them fighting without her to watch over them.
Terrance nodded absently at her bullshit reply, knowing she couldn’t promise him anything of the sort.
Her team milled about their vehicle in deep discussion, then gathered the maps off the hood. As they opened the doors to the SUV, they paused and glanced at her. None of them looked happy to be leaving.
She didn’t blame them one bit.
Camden gave her a nod, a silent promise that he wouldn’t let her down. Mason and Xander both watched her, as if committing her to memory, and she found herself stepping toward them to beg them not to go.
But when she opened her mouth, nothing came out.
They seemed to understand and ducked inside the truck. Terrance and Sadie were the last to enter, both of them crawling in the back. In less than a minute, they were gone.
Loulou stopped with one foot on the bottom step to the deck and gazed up at her. “They know what they’re doing. They’ll be fine.”
But Annora could see the concern in the rabbit’s too-large blue eyes. “Lionel will be fine. He won’t let anything happen to himself, not when he’s just found you.”
“I know.” Loulou’s laugh came out as a sob, and she gave Annora a broken smile, rubbing her chest as if to ease the ache. She released a long, slow breath, then her blue eyes hardened. “When do you leave?”
“Now.” Prem tugged at her pant leg, and Annora scooped him up, then grabbed the bag resting on the bench and opened it for him. Once he was settled inside, she eased the book in next, careful not to squish Prem, and slipped it over her shoulder.
“You can do this.” Loulou looked her up and down, nodding her approval, then gave her a savage smile. “Now go kick some ass.”
Chapter Eighteen
Annora glanced back at the house, the home now just an empty shell with the guys gone. The chill of it nipped at her, and she turned away, unable to remain there a second longer without them.
Prem pulled himself out of the backpack and rubbed his head soothingly along her neck. She reached up and scratched him between the ears. “What say we finish this once and for all?”
He bobbed his little head, brushing his head along her jaw, then patted her with a tiny paw before he popped back into the bag. Tugging Terrance’s phone out of her pocket, she slid her thumb across the surface to unlock it. A picture of a bunch of trees in the middle of fucking nowhere popped up on the screen.
She’d never tried to travel so far, nor to a place she’d never been.
She wasn’t sure if it was even possible.
Thankfully, the guys didn’t know or they never would’ve agreed to the plan.
Since neither Edgar nor Sadie objected, it was something she should be able to do.
She just had to figure out how.
No problem.
Annora hesitantly reached for the afterworld, knowing that touching it again so soon could draw the attention of her father.
Then she hardened her resolve.
She would be damned if she would allow him to take her, at least not before she got Logan back.
Hopefully her ability to remain camouflaged would hold out just a while longer.
Dark particles began to swirl around her, the wind more of a caress as it swirled around her. She brought up the phone and concentrated on the image. But instead of her entering the afterworld, the ground beneath her feet vanished and she fell through darkness, her stomach surging up into her throat.
There was a bright flash of light a second before she smacked against the ground so hard she lost her breath. She lay there stunned, her face planted in the dirt, and she used the pain to push herself up on her hands and knees.
Only to take a blow to the ribs that sent her flying.
As she rolled, her bag was ripped away from her, and she got the image of giant trees and fresh air before she smacked so hard into a tree trunk, her spine cracked ominously. Gritting her teeth, she pushed herself upright and lifted her head to see her uncle standing over her. He swung a bat absently while he studied her, his expression smug.
“I told him you’d show.” He sauntered closer, then slammed his boot into her face and her head slammed against the ground, hitting so hard it bounced.
Annora growled and glared up at him, but the fucker knew that she couldn’t—wouldn’t—retaliate, not until she knew Logan was safe.
Which meant she was at his mercy until the guys completed the deal.
Fucking hell.
Memories of the past tortures flashed through her mind. Instead of giving into the fear, she gritted her teeth and spit out a mouthful of blood before smiling up at him. “Hello, Uncle.”
He narrowed his eyes down at her, hating when she reminded him they were related. He tightened his grip on the baseball bat, winding up, and she chuckled. “Are we really going to do this again?”
Ignoring the grinding of b
ones, she pushed herself to her feet, using the pain to give her strength. The world tipped as her vision blurred and doubled before it righted itself. She staggered sideways to catch her balance, fighting to keep nausea from dropping her back to her knees. At the bare minimum, she had a concussion, maybe a fractured skull, not to mention a few broken ribs that ground together every time she moved.
Unwilling to give away how much stronger she’d gotten since they last met, she fought back the darkness, only allowing it to lick at her wounds. Which didn’t mean she was giving in to his shit. She had to buy the guys some time. She tipped her head from side to side, bones crunching as she stared her uncle down.
Pissed that he couldn’t bend her to his will, he swung the bat.
Annora caught it quickly, literally feeling the bones in her hand shatter. The flash of pain streaked up her arm, but she refused to release her hold. Darkness spiraled around the bat, eager to take a bite out of the bastard.
When his eyes widened with alarm, she yanked down hard on the bat, nearly jerking her uncle off his feet. It startled him enough that he released his hold and stumbled back.
Her bones snapped back into place, scalding heat melding the ragged edges back together, and she grinned at him.
A flash of fear crossed his face, which of course pissed him off more, and he narrowed his eyes. “No more games.” He turned toward the trees and yelled, “Take her.”
Half a dozen wolves emerged from the shadows, their eyes hard and determined.
And Kevin was one of them.
She gave him a hard look but couldn’t tell if he was on her side or not. When he gave a small shake of his head, relief rushed through her, and she forced herself to concentrate on the others so she wouldn’t give Kevin away. The wolves were young, maybe her age, with a feral and hungry look to them. Knowing she was outnumbered and about to get her ass handed to her, she flipped the bat and caught the handle.
As the wolves crowded closer, her uncle’s attention fell to her bag.
Or more precisely, the edge of the book sticking out of it.
When he took a step toward it, she countered, and the wolves leapt between them. Her uncle gave her a sly smile as he stooped and picked up the backpack. He slipped his hand inside…only to yank it out a second later with a curse. The bag dropped to the ground with a thump, and he shook out his hand, glaring at her as drops of blood splattered around him.
Prem leaped out of the bag, and charged toward her, dodging her uncle as he tried to stomp on the little critter. She could finally breathe after the ferret scampered out of range. “I’m going to roast that filthy animal alive and make you watch.”
Menace gave his eyes an unholy gleam.
He would do it, too.
She wouldn’t put it past her uncle to eat Prem in front of her either.
The wolves didn’t react to the ferret, just watched him scurry past. Though she wanted to scoop him up and keep him safe, she needed her arms free to fight. As if understanding, Prem zoomed up a tree and stood on the branch above her head like her very own guardian angel, chittering and waving his little paws like mad…almost as if he was telling them to fuck off.
Annora couldn’t stifle the smile that broke across her face.
But when she turned toward her uncle, the humor vanished when she saw him grinning. “I’ve missed you. The past few days almost felt like old times. Too bad your little kitsune didn’t hold up as well as you under the beatings. Disappointing, really. I was just getting started with him.” He shook his head, his grin turning menacing. “It’s a pity you couldn’t have joined us to see how quickly I was able to break him.”
Everything inside her went icy with rage. Darkness swarmed her until she nearly choked on it. The forest around them thickened with shadows, blocking out the evening sun, cocooning them in their own world. The darkness slowly stretched toward her, slithering through the trees, seeking prey. The wolves shifted restlessly as they watched the change, the temperature around them dropping twenty degrees in seconds. A few looked nervous, some impervious, while one or two retreated a few paces.
She grunted when her flesh wounds knitted together much too fast, the pain like she’d swallowed fire, until even the tips of her hair ached. She swallowed the agony and locked her knees, refusing to show weakness in front of them.
Kevin edged slightly away from the others, angling himself closer to her. His presence reminded her why they were there…to rescue Logan.
She sent a mental demand to Edgar, telling him not to come, then allowed the darkness to cut them off from the outside world completely, before Edgar had a chance to protest.
She couldn’t release her wrath, not yet, not until her uncle gave the signal to release Logan.
Annora swallowed down the rage that wanted to rampage and destroy, feeling it burn through her like acid. Little bits of black smog seeped out of her, weaving between her fingers like a pet eager to be let loose to hunt.
Dark particles kicked up around her feet, like she’d stepped into a pile of black flour. It gusted up in the air, tugging at her clothes, until it was a struggle to hold her form.
Her uncle was oblivious, running his hand over the cover of the grimoire like it was made of pure gold, his eyes gleaming with greed. Feeling his polluted touch like it was running down her spine, it was as all she could do not to go over there and rip it away from him, feeling his.
“If all you wanted was the book, why did you even bother with me?” She would much rather have been abandoned in a ditch somewhere than grow up under his poisonous ministrations.
He glared at her, pure, venomous hatred simmering under the surface. “The grimoire was supposed to be mine. I was born with the ambitions in the family. Unfortunately, my sister got all the magical talent. She squandered her abilities, creating stupid trinkets and charms when she could’ve been moving up through the ranks in the coven.
“She could’ve run the damned thing, but the stupid bitch spread her legs for your father and got pregnant.” A sneer twisted his face. “A one-night stand ruined her life. She left the coven as soon as she learned about you, threw it all away for you, you little brat.”
He began pacing, his gestures ragged and jerky. “When she disappeared, the coven threw me out.” He stopped abruptly and gave her a nasty smile. “Imagine my surprise when I got a call from her a decade later asking for my help. The cancer had ravaged her body, sucking away nearly all her magic. If she’d been in her right mind, she would’ve seen through my ruse, but she was so desperate to keep you safe, she gave me custody.”
His nasty laugh sent goosebumps racing over her skin, and Annora struggled not to run from his caustic rant, knowing she wasn’t going to like what he said next.
“But she was taking too fucking long to die. Two weeks after I arrived, I waited for you to go to school and smothered her in bed.” His face darkened as he glared at her, spittle flying as he spoke. “Only to have the damned grimoire vanish.”
Vague memories rose in her mind of him ripping apart their meager apartment, destroying everything in his path. Annora shivered, her body becoming heavy as she remembered coming home from school…and the beating that greeted her.
“It took me close to a week to realize you had the damned thing the whole time. At the first spill of your blood, the coloring book you carried around changed.” He clutched the book tighter to his chest. “Your blood was the key.”
“But then like an idiot, you lost it again, didn’t you?” Annora strode closer to him, only to have the wolves stiffen and growl.
Rage darkened his face. “How was I to know it would vanish?! I ripped out three pages, and the fucking thing disappeared like a wounded animal. All I had left were three spells and a useless brat.”
Hatred oozed from his glare, and she shivered from memories of his fists and her childhood conviction that it was all her fault rose like a ghost out of its crypt. The beating was incidental, a way to work off his fury, blow after blow pulverized her small b
ones, splattering blood with every hit.
It was the first time she died and came back.
“Imagine my surprise when I discovered you can heal, that you’re special, but you fought me every step of the way, like your bitch of a mother. It was only when Erickson showed an interest in you that I realized just how special and started selling your…services.” He gave a delighted laugh. “You were a fucking gold mine…when you cooperated.”
His brown eyes sparkled with glee as he smiled. “With the book, I can take what I want. You’ll finally learn your place and do what I say. And I’ll finally have the power I deserve—all I need is your blood.”
The wolves inched closer, practically salivating with a predatory urge to rip her apart.
“Wait.” Her uncle held up his hand, then dug his phone out of his pocket and gave her a nasty smile. “I want you to hear them slaughter your friends first.”
Her breathing stalled in her chest when she heard the phone ring.
“Erickson.” The phone was full of static, dropping in and out.
“I got it.” Her uncle met her gaze and grinned maliciously. “Kill them.”
She snapped.
It was time to even the odds.
She allowed the afterworld to swirl to life inside her, the darkness demanding retribution. She gave her uncle a sinister smile, allowing every bad thing he’d ever done to her to fuel her rage. “I learned a few tricks of my own while away.”
She allowed the afterworld to swallow her whole and stepped through the doorway to stand next to her uncle, then swung the bat with all her might.
Her uncle stumbled back, barely ducking in time to avoid having his head removed, lifting up his arm to protect himself and the wooden bat struck his hand instead. The satisfying crack of bones reached her ear, and she grinned at his scream. The phone shattered, tiny pieces of metal, glass and plastic flying in all directions.
Her uncle cursed and cradled his broken hand to his chest, smearing more of his blood on the grimoire cover. Instead of fear, he glared at her in defiance. “You can’t kill me, not if you want to survive.”
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