Zephyr gave an angry buzz and shot down the passageway ahead of Tiernan.
Copper blinked, unable to focus her eyes for a few long seconds. Stalactites glowing like red rubies came into view. Confusion slipped through her mind for only a fraction of a moment before she remembered all that had happened. How long had she been unconscious?
Her ankle screamed with pain, making the aches in her body feel like nothing in comparison. To no surprise she was spread-eagle on the stone floor as her sister had been. She tugged her arms even though she knew she’d be bound. She tried her good leg and it had been secured, as well. She didn’t dare test her bad ankle.
She felt weak beyond the pain. Light-headed. As if her life force were being drained from her.
She glanced at first one wrist, then the other. Both had small slits in them, and her blood dribbled into the runes as Silver’s had. And from what she could see by slightly raising her head the blood was moving along more freely now, filling the interlocked runes.
Her vision was hazy again. She blinked. Then blinked once more. Her face was turned so that she saw her sister sprawled where she’d been left before Copper had passed out. But hadn’t she been lying in a different position? Could she have moved on her own?
Grimacing from the pain, Copper turned her head to the other side, looked toward the door, and squinted. The red light was becoming brighter now. The door was open a fraction more. She couldn’t have been unconscious for long.
To the side of the door stood Darkwolf with the glowing eye of Balor around his neck.
On one side of him was Sara, who had her hands on her hips and her back to Copper as she stared at the door. On his other side squatted the large blue beast that Copper knew to be Junga in her demon form. Apparently she had shifted while Copper was out of it. Junga had her back to Copper, too.
Copper kept her eyes shuttered, not wanting them to know she was awake if they looked at her. Not that it mattered. How was she going to get out of this mess?
“Slice her wrists so that blood spills from her body faster,” came Junga’s rough demon voice. She cut her gaze to Copper who went completely still. “We need the Balor-damned door open, now.”
“I don’t like repeating myself.” Darkwolf scowled at her and they both turned their attention back to the door. “Balor insists this must be done slowly, or we will fail.”
Hopelessness flooded Copper, a feeling she didn’t like at all. She turned her head in the other direction and saw Silver still lying on her side—only her position had changed again. A low moan came from her sister. Copper’s heart rate picked up. Silver was waking!
A scraping sound brought Copper’s attention back to the door. Shit. It was opening wider! Not wide enough to let anything through, but now she could hear growls and snorts coming through the crack and a rank stench like rotting meat. And barking—like the hounds of Underworld.
As blood continued to trickle from the cuts at her wrists, Copper fought to keep tension from her body. Tensing up would only cause the blood to flow faster. She took a deep breath, tried to focus, tried to come up with a plan.
She almost laughed. Sure, a plan. Spread-eagle in the middle of a sacrificial circle, bound, blood being squeezed from her body. Where was the cavalry when you needed it? Goddess. If only her Coven had been able to join her. If only the D’Danann hadn’t been blocked from traveling to Otherworld, as well. If only the Paranormal Special Forces could travel worlds.
The scrape of stone was harsh to her ears as the door opened another fraction. The pounding of her heart doubled. She looked to her wrist and raised her head as best she could to see that the flow of blood was steady and the runes were filling, blood snaking from one rune line to the next.
“Soon,” Darkwolf said in a voice unlike his own, a voice so deep and evil that it resonated through the room. It was as if the voice were being channeled through him, as if Balor himself spoke through the warlock. “Soon I will bring together all my children and rule them once more.”
Copper rested her head back against the stone and willed her heart to slow its beating. She had never been allowed by the D’Anu to donate blood to the Red Cross because of her witch heritage, so she didn’t have that experience. But she couldn’t imagine that more than a pint had been drained from her so far in this circle. No doubt it wouldn’t be long until she’d be too weak to do anything. Already she felt as if she’d had the crap beaten out of her—which she more or less had.
Another scrunch of stone against stone had Copper’s teeth grinding and her focus moving toward the door. The red glow was brighter. This time claws crept around the stone, and snouts of what were sure to be hideous beasts were visible—Fomorii. More growls, snorts, and roars met her ears. The stench coming from the door mingled with the smell of blood, dirt, and stone from the cavern.
Copper felt sudden warmth at her right arm and she cut her gaze to it.
Silver was on her knees, her hands held over Copper’s wrist.
Copper’s heart leaped to see her sister awake. Dark circles were apparent under Silver’s eyes and she looked beyond exhausted, but she was alive.
Silver’s blue magic poured from her fingertips, healing the cut in Copper’s wrist almost instantly. Copper started to open her mouth, but she snapped it shut when her sister held one finger to her lips.
Silver looked even more bleary eyed and as if she might faint again, but she crawled over to Copper’s other wrist. Before she could do anything, the door scraped a fraction more and this time bodies squirmed in the opening. More Fomorii! They were trying to get out but the opening just wasn’t big enough for them.
“We’ll get out of this,” Silver whispered. Again her blue glow eased from her fingertips and the slice in Copper’s wrist closed and healed.
Silver’s strength gave out and she crumpled to the stone floor, her eyes closed.
Wounds healed, Copper found the strength to struggle against her bonds. Even though no more blood dripped from her veins, what had already left her body was still moving slowly through the etchings.
The door scraped open a tad more. The stench of rotten fish mingled with the burnt-sugar smell.
A shadow fell across Copper’s face. Her heart leaped in terror as she saw someone dark and foreboding above her, wielding a long, thick blade.
It was Garran, King of the Drow.
“No. Garran, please,” Copper whispered. Disbelief coursed through her veins like ice water. It wasn’t possible. He wouldn’t kill her.
He clenched his jaw, swung the blade down, and Copper closed her eyes, prepared for the death blow.
She heard a scrape against the rope, a sharp tug at her wrist, and the binding was suddenly free. Her eyelids sprang open. He had sliced the tie from one of her wrists. Shocked, she watched him free her broken ankle and she bit her bottom lip until she tasted blood as she tried not to scream from the pain. In quick movements and even quicker strokes, Garran cut the bonds from her other ankle and wrist.
When he finished, he carefully brought her to her feet. She couldn’t help but want to cry out before she had a chance to put all her weight on her left ankle. For a moment she sagged against Garran, unable to stand on her own, and he gently held her. His earthy scent was almost comforting—if it wasn’t for the fact that he was a traitor.
She separated herself from Garran’s arms and glanced at where Darkwolf, Junga, and Sara stood, and was relieved that they were solely focused on the door.
“The blood.” Copper kept her voice low as she looked down at the fluid still moving through the etchings. “We have to stop it.”
“I am not here to hinder the opening of the chamber.” Garran sheathed his dagger, his silvery eyes reflecting the red light seeping from the door. “Balor has promised that all the Dark Elves may again tolerate light and live aboveground in your world when his body is freed. Once the door is open that promise will be fulfilled.” He gripped her arm tighter, his eyes meeting hers. “I wish only for you to live.” He
glanced at the floor. “You have bled enough.”
Open-mouthed, Copper balanced on one foot in the center of the circle. “You don’t understand. To allow these creatures out would devastate my world.”
He placed his callused palm against her cheek and his earth-and-moss scent flowed over her again. “Come with me, Copper. I have wanted you since you came to Other-world. I have waited only for you to come to me willingly.”
She would have backed up if she could have. “You’re a traitor, Garran. You could have let us all out of the bubble prison long ago, but you didn’t.”
“In order to free my people from darkness, I could not.” He glanced up at the door that was a fraction wider. When he looked back at her she saw regret, yet caring for his people in his eyes. “Come with me now. I will protect you.”
She shook her head. “No.”
For a moment he looked like he was going to take her against her will. His muscles flexed and his jaw tensed. He glanced at the doorway and back to Copper. “Come!” he commanded in a low voice filled with urgency and passion.
“I can’t.” Copper looked to her sister who was still on the cavern floor, but stirring again. “I have to help my sister and I have to stop that door from opening.”
Garran brushed his knuckles across her cheek and pressed his lips to her forehead. “May the gods and goddesses be with you, Copper.” He gave one last look at her, released her arm, and slipped away into the darkness.
Shock filled Copper over her exchange with the Drow king, but she couldn’t think about Garran.
Her heart pounded as she glanced down at her sister, and Copper thanked the goddess Silver was moving, pushing herself up from the floor. The red glow from the opening door cast a crimson sheen across her sister’s silvery-blond hair. Silver shoved her hair out of her face and over her shoulder, then braced both hands on the floor and took a deep breath. She didn’t seem to have the strength to get to her feet.
Copper’s gaze shot back to the door. Now it was open just enough that bodies were closer to squeezing through. Growls, snorts, and cries were so loud Copper wanted to clap her hands over her ears. Now she could smell something like really bad dog breath mixed with rotten fish and burnt sugar.
Junga’s, Sara’s, and Darkwolf’s attentions were focused solely on that door. The way Copper was standing now, she could better make out the side of the warlock’s face. A triumphant smile curved the corner of his mouth. The demon Junga gave a growl of approval, and Sara made a sound of delight.
Copper felt her useless wand in her back pocket and ground her teeth. She would do this using hand magic. She had to do it.
Keeping her weight off her right leg, while trying to ignore the screaming pain, she mentally prepared herself for the spell. She raised her hands, palms facing the door, and began to chant the spell she’d practiced all day when she’d jogged the length of the three-mile-long park and back.
Goddess, hear our words, our plea
In this time out of time,
In this place out of place.
Goddess, we raise our hands to thee
In this dark beyond darkness,
In this world beyond worlds.
We await your grace.
We await your power.
We stand at the threshold.
Goddess, please protect your children
And banish evil to the Underworld realm.
A faint golden glow emanated from her palms, but that was it.
Copper’s whole body tensed. She focused. Repeated the spell louder this time, certain she wouldn’t be heard above the sounds the beasts were making.
Only a brighter glow came from her fingertips and no more.
Crap. She ground her teeth harder.
This time she took all the pain in her body, all the rage, all the frustration, and poured it into her gray witchcraft. Dark gray magic filled her so powerfully that her vision turned almost black. She could feel the darkness calling to her, calling to her. Her body started to shake and her mind began to fill with black thoughts.
She could control all the beings that would escape through the door. She could rule. She could make everyone who had hurt her family, killed her mother, pay. She would use black magic for good, and all that was evil would answer to her.
Intense pain filled Copper as shock slammed into her like ice water.
No. No. No! How could she even be thinking this way?
With everything she had, she jerked herself away from the dark.
Ohmigoddess, how could I have taken gray magic so lightly? I risked my soul, my life—risked everyone’s life so arrogantly, like it would never cost me and those I love.
It came to her, in that flash of time, that no matter what, she wouldn’t have been able to save her childhood friend, Trista. And at such a young age she might have lost herself to the dark.
Copper shoved away the gray and chanted the spell louder yet, using only white magic. Safe, pure white magic was all she needed to close that door.
Just a second before she finished the chant, the door opened another crack and beasts began to pour through the opening.
Copper could hardly breathe and could barely continue the chant.
Sara broke away from Junga and Darkwolf to stand in front of them, just a few feet from the doorway.
She spread her arms wide.
A brilliant red glow suffused her body, followed by what looked like black fog.
Shock registered on Darkwolf’s face as his gaze swung to Junga, and Junga roared.
Copper’s terror magnified the spell as she yelled the last lines of the chant.
Brilliant golden light poured from her body.
Shot across the room.
Rammed into the door.
Slammed it shut.
The crunch of stone crashing against stone rose above the snarls and shrieks of the Fomorii, Basilisks, and Hounds of Underworld that had escaped. Screams cut the air from two Fomorii smashed between the great stone door and doorway as they tried to squirm free.
“No!” Darkwolf shouted and whirled to face Copper. The red light in the cavern had dimmed, but she could see rage twisting the warlock’s features. The red of his gaze matched the unholy red of the eye at his chest.
But Copper’s gaze was torn from him to Sara.
Oh, my goddess. When Sara turned, her eyes blazed even redder than Darkwolf’s. Her hair looked like it was living fire, flickering red, orange, yellow. She was the firehaired being from Copper’s dream!
And Sara’s clothing—it was as if the being that possessed her changed everything about her, down to the black leather she now wore.
Sara spread her arms and bent her back. Great wings sprang from her arms, anchored at the middle of her back—like bat wings. She gave a hiss and a cry that was louder than the roars and snarls in the cavern.
Copper’s attention whipped back to Darkwolf. The warlock raised his hands as Fomorii charged Copper.
Purple light shot across the room from Darkwolf toward Copper as Junga charged. At the same time the Sara creature took to the air. Terror rode Copper and she tried to throw up a shield.
Her hand-magic didn’t work.
Just before Darkwolf’s spell slammed into her, a blue bubble of protection surrounded Copper. Her gaze cut to her sister who was on her knees, blue light flowing from her hands and forming the shield around them both.
Instead of rebounding Darkwolf’s magic, Silver’s shield absorbed his power, strengthening the protection around them. The bubble shimmered bluish-purple, and Copper knew Silver was using her gray magic to protect them.
In that instant she saw the struggle on her sister’s face, saw the connection between her and Darkwolf.
“No, Silver,” Copper shouted. “Use white magic to battle him or he’ll pull you over the edge!”
Copper’s heart beat frantically as she channeled her energy through her hands. To her shock gold magic poured from her palms. Her magic joined with Silver’s blue and the p
urple, causing it to have an iridescent sparkle. Copper still felt shakiness in the bubble of protection as the Fomorii crashed against it.
With all her might, with all her focus, and with all the love she had for her sister, Copper thrust more energy from her body into the shield.
Golden bubbles began pouring from her body to join with the other magic. Gold bubbles that had appeared the times she and Tiernan had made love.
Love.
That soul-deep connection that she had with her sister, on another level she had with Tiernan.
She shoved the thought from her mind and focused on the warlock and Sara, who flew around the cavern like some great flame-haired bat, assessing the situation. Copper didn’t know who was more dangerous at that moment.
What had Sara become? What was she capable of?
Darkwolf’s nose was slightly crooked now from the punch Copper had dealt him earlier. Although it no longer bled, she couldn’t help a bit of satisfaction at the bloodstains left behind on his shirt. It was the perfect reminder . . . he wasn’t invincible.
Shock registered once again on his face when he glanced to where Sara now perched on a huge stone, her red eyes and hair blazing. She crouched, her feet on the rock, her hands between her knees as she gripped the edge of the boulder. It was surreal—like looking at a kind of comic-book gargoyle.
Even as she took everything in, Copper didn’t let up on her magic. To her surprise it didn’t drain her. If anything it made her feel almost omnipotent. She no longer felt pain, no longer felt anything but the power of her witchcraft. She no longer had to hold up her hands; her strength radiated from her in waves and in the golden bubbles.
Silver rose to stand beside Copper. A healthy glow had risen in her cheeks, and her eyes weren’t marred with dark circles beneath them.
Copper glanced around them at the countless Fomorii, the snarling red-eyed hounds, and the Basilisks that had slipped out of the door. Some were vanishing into the darkness, and others were attempting to attack the shield surrounding Copper and Silver. So many beings had escaped!
Copper felt vibrations every time a demon slammed its body into the shield. Thank the goddess it held.
Seduced by Magic Page 31