No witch in their right mind would team up with Carman unless there was some kind of reward or leverage involved. C’mon, Skye, think!
Nightshade Witches had a grudge against the Crescents. Was it just because they wanted to rid the world of the one thing that was keeping Carman from returning and unleashing Armageddon? Or was it something more?
“She took something from you, didn’t she?”
Lucy stiffened.
“That’s what you were talking to the fae that had stolen Alex’s face about that day,” I went on. “He was threatening you.”
She rolled her eyes and continued her way around the clearing, setting up for the ritual. I could sense her magic every time she stopped. She was anchoring something in the shape of a pentagram. The four earthly elements—earth, air, fire, water—and the final element, spirit, to the symbol’s the fifth point.
“She has your family.” I guessed. “Am I right?”
“You have to do what you have to do,” she said. “And so do I. I’m sorry, Skye, I really liked you, but they’re more important to me than you’ll ever be.”
I would like to think she didn’t want to betray me—it was a comforting thought in the face of the battle to come—but Lucy felt she had to follow through with Carman’s demands to save her family…but she could still change her mind. It wasn’t too late.
“Your family might’ve done bad things, but you don’t have to,” I said, begging. “You can be different, Lucy.”
“They’re still me family!” she exclaimed. “She has me mother, me grandmother, me aunt, and me little sister! A fifteen-year-old kid!”
“Your sister is innocent, but everyone else murdered my family! They burned them alive, did you know that? Three Crescent Witches strung up and burned alive. And their death took my mother from me when I was a child. After all that, I still want to help you. Please, Lucy. We can beat her. We can get your family back, and Carman will get what’s coming to her. We won’t have to hide anymore. No one will!”
“Shut up!” she said, screeching.
“Carman will be gone, and we can come out of hiding,” I said, searching for my magic. “We could celebrate what we are, openly. We could use magic anywhere. Together, we could live in peace. If you do this, magic will die. Carman will take everything you are and use it for her own ends. Even if you save them—”
“I said, shut up!”
Her palm connected with my face with a crack, and I gasped.
“And don’t even try to look for your magic. I’ve locked you out. That was the first thing I did.”
“Lucy, please…”
“She took their magic,” Lucy said, her fists trembling. “She was just as bad as Carman, so why would I trust you? Crescent spawn.”
I faltered. So that was Aileen’s revenge. She’d confronted the coven who’d murdered her family and hadn’t delivered death but something far worse. She’d taken the Nightshade’s birthright as punishment, only sparing Lucy and her sister. Mercy that hadn’t been appreciated considering my current predicament.
Lucy had spent her whole life growing up with a destroyed family, and to her, Aileen had been to blame. I saw it now.
She had a chance to change but had chosen the path her family had set her on. Their bitterness and hatred had shaped her, and so here we were.
Lucy had played me all along. Here I thought all witches were on my side, and the only tricksters in the equation were the fae. Revenge was a slippery slope.
There was no changing Lucy’s mind. It had already been made up long before she met me.
“So, how’s this going to go?” I asked, staring at the darkness above. “Do you slit my wrists and do your little slam poetry performance while I bleed out? Are you just going to leave me tied up here and let my body rot? That’s just asking for a forensic analysis by the cops, FYI. I bet your DNA is all over the place. Don’t forget to scrub me down with bleach by hand! Because I’m pretty sure magical scrubbing brushes are against witchy laws since I’m not allowed to have spelled knitting needles. And I really wanted one of those funky jumpers for Christmas. You know the ones with the reindeer and tinsel and bells and shit sewn on the front? Man, imagine what the pictures would’ve been like.”
“Don’t waste your last moments on pointless dribble, Skye,” Lucy said. “It’s not becomin’ of a Crescent Witch. At least our ancestors knew how to die with dignity even when they were lashed to stakes.”
“And how will you live with yourself, Lucy?” I asked, glaring at her. “Knowing you betrayed your entire kind to the greatest evil who ever lived? When you’re all writhing in agony at the mercy of the fae, you’ll look back to this moment and know all that suffering was because of you. It will be your fault.”
She laughed and shook her head. “You really don’t know anythin’. It’s unbelievable.”
“What? What are you talking about?” I demanded, trying desperately to hold onto consciousness. “What do you mean?”
Lucy began to chant, her words sounding alien to my ears. I couldn’t concentrate as her magic swelled, then settled over me like a blanket. Everything was muffled, and I couldn’t move. I couldn’t even struggle or scream.
I was completely helpless.
Lucy stood over me, holding the dagger in her hands. Her gaze met mine, and I knew there was no getting out of this. Not like before, when I’d still held onto a sliver of hope. No, this time I knew. The clarity was startling, and I resigned myself to my fate.
I’d done all I could, hadn’t I? I’d been dumped into all of this Crescent Witch business with no warning, no guidance, and no clue. Dumb luck. That was what it had been all along.
Dumb. Luck.
I cried out as Lucy dragged the dagger along my arm. From wrist to elbow, she sliced me open, opting for the overkill method. Then she gave me a matching slice.
I felt blood oozing from the wounds, and my head swam. I was so tired… My arms burned, yet I felt so cold.
“I’m sorry…” I said through a moan. “Aileen, I’m so sorry…”
Lucy continued her chanting, raising her hand and swiping her bloodstained thumb across my forehead.
“Goodbye, Skye,” she murmured. “Thank you, for your sacrifice.”
The world was torn away, and I fell. I was twisted inside out, back to front, and catapulted from side to side. Then I landed on my feet.
Gasping, I held out my arms to steady myself.
That was when I realized the cuts were gone. So was the pain. Freaky. Was I dead and in the afterlife?
Looking around, I found myself in a dark room. The walls were made of large bluestone slabs, and the only light came from some flaming torches set along the wall in wrought iron sconces. It was very medieval in there.
There were two large wooden doors set into the walls on either side of the room, complete with black iron embellishments. Totally fancy hinges and handles and shite.
Striding over to the right-hand side, I wrestled with the loop, the ancient mechanism doing my head in. Finally, I figured out I had to raise the ring and turn it to the side to unlatch it.
Opening the door, I ran through, determined to get out of there, then skidded to halt as I ran straight back into the room I’d been in. The hell?
Turning, I went back the way I’d come and cursed when I realized I was standing on the opposite side of the same room. Still, I tried both doors several more times, all with the same result. Predicament confirmed.
I didn’t have to be a genius to know I wasn’t in Kansas anymore.
I wished Boone was here. Boone would know what to do. He would have to know I was missing by now, and he’d be searching. And Mairead… Mairead! I was supposed to help her with her drawings tonight. Dammit. Talk about messing up a lovely night at home in front of the heater.
Like any of that mattered now. If this was my eternal resting place, it totally sucked balls!
“So, this is who all the fuss is about.”
The silky voice oozed ove
r my skin, and I shivered in revulsion. It felt like I’d been dipped into a vat of slime like a tea bag. Gross.
Turning, my gaze locked with a woman who’d appeared at the other end of the room. Where she’d come from, I didn’t know, but my mind clamored with an odd sensation of déjà vu.
Giving her the once-over, I took a step back. She was as tall as me, her frame willowy and lithe. Her brilliant green eyes were framed by long lashes and cascading auburn hair. Freckles dusted over her cheeks, giving her an ethereal look, but her mouth let her down. It was hard and spiteful, twisted into a sneer that sent a bolt of dread into my heart.
She took a step forward, her emerald-green dress flowing in soft waves, and I took another step back.
“Do you know who I am, Crescent?”
There could only be one person who wanted to drag me down with her poisonous claws and be present for my last breath.
“You’re Carman?” I asked, raising my eyebrows. “You’re not much to look at.”
“Arrogant, insolent…” She narrowed her eyes and regarded me with a disdain that was palpable. “I see a thousand years has not dampened your wit, Crescent.”
“I’m twenty-eight,” I replied, not caring if I peed her off or not. “Which is so much more youthful than a withered thousand-year-old husk. Nice glamour spell, by the way.” I held up my hand and gave her the thumbs up. “Impeccable. No one likes to go down to the shops and see a walking mummy wheeling around a shopping trolley. They have museums for that these days. Hey, do you know what an iPhone is?”
“Silence!” Carman screeched, the force behind her voice knocking me on my ass. Literally.
Luckily, it didn’t hurt since we were in a magical vision-esque plane of existence. A mirror reflecting a mirror, etcetera, etcetera.
“Wow,” I said. “You call me arrogant? You’re the one who’s standing there waiting for the moment I die. You could’ve been happy with just knowing Lucy had done her job, but no, you had to come and gloat.”
“I did miss the barbecue,” Carman said. “I hear the flames rose higher than the forest canopy.”
“Bitch,” I said with a snarl, pushing to my feet.
“I’ve been called worse. Much worse.”
Her smile was sweet, and it made me want to vomit. This might be the end for me, but Boone would never let her win. Never.
“You may get back into Ireland after I’m gone,” I said, “but you’ll never open the doorways. Never.”
Standing beside me, she caressed my face, regarding me with an icy glare. “For the last Crescent, you are quite disappointing. The culmination of your coven’s power has let you down, child. I sense her in you, but she hasn’t come forth.”
“Who are you talking about?”
“It’s a shame,” Carman said, ignoring my question. “I would’ve liked to, how did you say it? Gloat to her one last time.”
“Gloat to who?” I demanded. “What are you talking about?”
Carman smiled, her green eyes sparkling in triumph.
“Skye Williams, the last Crescent Witch. It has not been a pleasure.” She waved her hand through the air. “May you forever lie restless, knowing you failed everyone you love.”
The room began to shimmer, and I lunged toward her with a roar. “Don’t count on it, you bitch!”
My fingernails scraped against her cheek, and then I was falling through darkness. Plummeting and tumbling…until I wasn’t anymore.
Chapter 19
Gasping for air, I raised my head.
Firelight shone around me, the air icy and full of the scent of wood smoke and damp earth.
“Does she know?” Lucy asked. “Does she know about you?”
I was back in the clearing, alive and… Ow, my arms sting like a motherf—
“Let her go, and we might spare you,” a familiar voice boomed.
“I can’t do that, Boone. It’s too late.”
Boone! I struggled against my restraints, searching for my magic, but it was still locked inside. I wasn’t dead! There was still a chance to stop the curse from being broken. I just had to get out of here.
I kicked and wriggled, trying to ignore the burning pain in my arms. My strength was waning, my attempts at escape making me look like a fish out of water, flopping around uselessly on a riverbank. Yep, that was me. Skye Williams, sucker.
“This is your last warnin’,” Boone said, his voice taking on the quality of an angry animal.
“And you’ve already had yours!” Lucy said, roaring in frustration and twisting toward Boone.
I sensed the build up of magic inside her, and my eyes widened.
“Look out!” I screamed.
He’d anticipated it as well but didn’t react fast enough. A blast of magic struck him square in the chest, and he flew across the clearing. He collided with a tree, his head whacking against the trunk with a thud.
“I don’t have time for this!” Lucy said, her fists shaking with rage. “Stay out of me way!”
She turned back toward me and raised her hands, focusing her magic on the ritual. A purple shimmer erupted around the clearing, and my gaze met Boone’s. She’d invoked a barrier, locking him out.
I pulled against my restraints, desperately trying to break free. I called on my magic, but the golden ball sputtered and died, only reaching the size of a pea before it was squashed.
No! It couldn’t end like this.
“Skye!” Boone howled in agony, his fists beating on the barrier, sending purple flares rippling through the air.
“It’s okay,” I said, longing for one last kiss. “Boone, it’s okay…”
“No!” he bellowed, beginning to shake. “No!”
His entire body erupted, his change overcoming him so fast he’d turned in a blink of an eye, but when I saw the shape he’d formed, my mouth fell open.
A large, gray wolf stood outside the barrier, his chest and paws snow white, and his eyes a startling shade of amber. He was massive, at least the size of… The wolf that had attacked me. There were so many things wrong with what was happening, but I didn’t have the strength to ponder the implications.
“Holy fu…fruitcake,” I exclaimed, causing Lucy to turn.
Wolf-Boone snarled, baring his razor-sharp teeth, and lowered his head in warning.
“No… You’re… You can’t be!”
The wolf stepped forward, tearing through the barrier like it wasn’t there at all. It flared purple, then sputtered before dying completely.
I stared in shock as he advanced on Lucy like the Terminator. Menacing, without fear, and with deadly intent.
She raised her hands, calling on her magic, and I opened my mouth to scream a warning, but Wolf-Boone had felt it, too.
His jaws snapped, and he sprang forward, his haunches launching him off the ground at an alarming speed. He collided with Lucy, and she fell onto her back with him on top. His jaws snapped and…
I turned my head away as the witch screamed, the sound of tearing flesh and crunching bones making me want to hurl.
“Stop!” I screeched, tears streaming from my eyes. “Boone, stop!”
My magic flared, and the restraints holding me down were broken. Lucy’s magic had been severed, which meant…
“Oh, God,” I whispered, rolling onto my side. I heaved, but my stomach was empty.
Dragging myself off the stone slab, I glanced up at Boone, who’d stopped his frenzied attack and was now staring at me.
“Boone…”
His eyes fixed on me, sparkling in the torchlight. His fur was matted with blood, and his teeth were red with it.
“It’s over,” I went on. “You can change back now…”
Trying not to look at what was left of Lucy, I crawled toward him.
The wolf lowered his head in warning, a low growl coming from his jaws. I hesitated, my fear almost getting the best of me, but I wasn’t backing down. Despite all his animal instincts wanting to take over, Boone was still in there.
Rea
ching out, I ignored his deepening growls and grasped the fur behind his ears. The moment I touched him, I felt my magic snake through my arm and flow into his body.
The effect was immediate. The tension seeped from him, and he whined, his head rubbing up against mine. Nestling beside me, his snout nudged my arm, and then his tongue lapped at the cut. I shivered, fearful he would lose control and chomp down on me at any moment, but he didn’t. The touch of Crescent magic had called him back, and he was little more than a puppy. The wild wolf had been put back into his box…for now.
“I’m okay,” I whispered to the wolf. “I need you to come back.”
He blinked and lowered his nose.
“Please.”
He whimpered softly, then his bones began to crack as his body went through his change.
I sat back on my heels. I never liked seeing him go through it, but I’d also never seen him as a wolf before. Back when I’d first found out he was a shapeshifter, I’d asked him why he only had a few animals in his arsenal. His answer had been surprising and kind of alarming. He never tried until was sure he could change back.
Holding my arms against my stomach, I waited as his snout shrunk and his fur disappeared. I waited until his humanity began to show before I sighed in relief.
Finally, he knelt before me, naked as the day he was born—covered in the blood of the witch who’d betrayed us—and began to shiver. I opened my arms, ignoring the sting of my own wounds, and held him against me.
“Who am I?” he whispered, clinging onto me for dear life. “What have I done?”
“What you had to,” I replied.
“I killed her…” He was on the verge of hysterics.
“Boone, listen to me,” I said, grasping his face in my hands. The cuts on my arms didn’t seem to hurt as much anymore. “You did what you had to. Do you understand what she was trying to do?”
He nodded, his bottom lip quivering. “She was tryin’ to break the curse.”
“Which means she wasn’t our friend. She was never here to help us.”
His expression faltered, and he reached up and grasped my wrists. “Skye… Your arms…”
“Huh?”
Crescent Prophecy (The Crescent Witch Chronicles Book 2) Page 15