It completely ignored me, and went for Tara as a new arm started to grow out of its upper body, fueled by the witch’s dark magic no doubt. I hit it with another shot and took off a leg this time, and it fell to the ground a few feet away from Tara, the wolves growled at the thing, but held back unsure if they could even harm it.
Tara pulled out a piece of copper and started chanting as the thing tried to get back to its feet before its leg fully regrew. I admit I was kind of bugging; I’d never seen anything like it before. Tara though, seemed totally calm, almost regal, as she stood there in a dress and chanted in her confident sonorous voice.
She spoke the last few words with a harsh finality, and threw the copper at the golem and it stuck in the dirt body. A second later I felt and smelled ozone, as two strikes of lightning accompanied by booming thunder fell down from the dark witch’s storm and struck the center of the golem, right where the piece of copper was. The entire thing exploded apart. I was flooded with adrenaline, and rather relieved when the thing didn’t come back together.
I was kind of impressed, Tara had turned their own power against them. I wouldn’t betray Sierra, but I couldn’t help being a little turned on by her casual display and command of power, not to mention her dress. I dismissed it all with a guilty thought and turned my attention back to the house now that the dark coven’s initial attack had failed.
I slammed my power into the wards, and wondered what my allies thought of it. If it weren’t for controlling the light, they would see a twisting rope of air, that was on fire, pounding into the house and wards. As it was, it looked like a rope of pure shadow as I fed my anger, fear, inappropriate lust, the heat and light, and even the gases from the fire itself back into the fiery maelstrom to make it as hot and powerful as I could.
I had to back off for a minute, as I redirected the lightning the dark coven sent down on us from above. I couldn’t control lightning myself, because it had components of fire and earth, but I could adjust the path it took by insulating the ground with the power of air, having it strike the tops of the trees around those on the ground, instead of finding a path between them.
Tara was chanting again, though with a glance I saw they weren’t fighting anything else, so it must be directed at the house.
I did have a thought though. The house was protected from fire, air, water, and earth with wards. But explosions had secondary effects, like compression or shock waves, which are actually sound. Air shields would stop one, but wards against pure magic wouldn’t, since it would be a side effect of what I planned, and not part of the magic at all.
I built a ball of fire next to the house, right by where their ritual room would be according to the hand drawn floor plan Tara showed us. I kept pouring fire into it, raising the temperature, increasing the fire, at the same time I compressed it tighter and tighter with air. I could feel it burning away the main active wards, and I kept it up.
As soon as the wards fell, I released the part of the air shield facing the house, making it a kind of shaped charge. The explosion was enormous, and the house wards Tara had warned us about absorbed the intense heat and rush of air, but the shock wave literally blew a jagged ten-foot diameter hole in the side of the house.
I didn’t think of myself as a violent person, but I have to admit I’d enjoyed that a lot.
I stopped then, because Tara finished chanting and sent her spell at the house, coating the inactive wards and various traps in her own magic so they wouldn’t activate. I knew any more attacks would have to be directly against a witch, or I could accidentally burn her spell away.
The good thing was, we didn’t have to go through the door single file, we were literally staring through a hole in the side of the house, at the now open mouthed coven standing in a circle. Their shocked stares lasted less than a second, and they all went for their pockets while Sierra, Clint, and Katie charged.
I moved forward though the air toward the house from about twenty feet up, making sure to keep my mate and friends in my sphere of air so I could shield them. Tara walked forward confidently, and was chanting yet again, this time she held a bone.
I sent a small sphere of dark fire straight for Cindy, if I could take her out perhaps their joined magic would fall apart. It hit her wards, but didn’t get through. By now they were chanting as well, but three of the witches were taken down by the throat before they could finish, as Sierra, Clint, and Katie launched themselves through the large hole in the house. I could feel the magic eat through the shields I had erected, and tried to steady them as I sent another larger bolt of black fire and air at Cyndy.
I don’t know if the ferocity of the wolves’ attack distracted them, or if I had just weakened her wards to much with my last shot, but this time my attack burned into her chest, and after a moment turned her into a pillar of fire. I put it out with a thought when I felt her die and the wolves turned and dove for the next three of the four dark witches left standing.
Sierra was hit by something, and sent careening across the room, although the shield of air I was holding around her didn’t break. Clint and Katie were hit as well, but only redirected and slowed slightly, and their jaws bit deep into their target’s sides as they took them down. Perhaps those witches were just weaker than the one that Sierra attacked.
I turned to the one that hit Sierra but before I could do anything, Tara finished chanting and once again used the dark witches’ own storm. I was shocked when a searing lightning bolt was pulled right to Tara’s hand, but then it was redirected and forked from her raised hand at two of the remaining witches. It went through their personal wards like a hot knife through butter, and roasted them on the spot.
The only two left were the ones trying to fend off Katie and Clint. They hardly needed the help, but Sierra was up by now, and darted in and took Clint’s opponent by the neck. The last one followed quickly after.
Tara laughed in relief and humor before she looked at me, “Did you have to blow a hole in the wall? It’s going to be harder to cover up.”
I snorted and returned to the ground next to her, as the wolves ran out, no doubt going for their clothes.
“That lightning trick was impressive, at first I thought it was them hitting you.”
She grinned and winked saucily, “Nope, I’m just that good.”
I laughed and walked into the house, I burned the corpses, blood, and other viscera to ash, and then took the ashes away with air.
Tara pointed at the wall, “Can you destroy those? They’ll be warded.”
I nodded, and grabbed the dark grimoires in air and floated them off the shelf. I started a fire inside the bubble of air holding the books and it contained the fire inside of it. It took a good fifteen seconds, and then they went up all at once, my air containing the exploding fire. Then I leached the heat away and released the ashes.
She frowned, “I wish we could burn the place down.”
Sierra hugged me from behind, I knew she was okay from being thrown, but it was a relief to scan her with air magic and find nothing wrong. I pulled her against me when she stepped around and tried to take my hand. Katie and Clint came back inside too.
Sierra asked, “Where are the wards? Maybe we could tear that part out?”
Tara frowned, “The fire wards are in the walls, inscribed in the wall studs. We’d have to knock down the whole house, and even then the studs or anything near them won’t burn until we break each ward.”
Well, that does make covering up a hole in the wall for no apparent reason complicated, not to mention if anyone tries to demolition the house in the future they may become suspicious when the house eats the explosives. I walked outside while I reached for information about resonance. Sound, oscillations, all of that I could create with air. It wasn’t something I’d looked at before, but the information was out there.
A house’s walls resonate between twenty and twenty-five hertz. The question was, would I be able to build enough of a resonance wave vibration to literally shake apar
t a whole house. Although, strictly speaking, all I would need to do is cause the studs to crack and split, breaking the ward lines carved into them.
The rest followed me out as I tried to do just that. The four of them stared at me with puzzled expressions at the intent look on my face, until the sound of cracking and splintering wood filled the yard. The house creaked and looked like it might just fall in on itself, with most of the supports torn apart a good wind would probably do just that. Now they were looking at me with their mouths open, and I just winked and tried to be mysterious. It wouldn’t be nearly as cool if I explained how I did it after all.
Then I set it on fire, and it burned merrily…
Epilogue
Sunday, June 5th, 2016, 10:41 AM
Tara thanked us again before I sent her straight to the back of her store. There was an awkward moment, when she looked like she was going to hug me, but she thought better of it after glancing at Sierra. Just as well really, kept me out of trouble. All in all, despite how crazy things had gotten the last four days, I’d gotten another powerful ally out of it, and an understanding between Tara and I on where we stood. Not to mention my new comprehension and increased powers of both fire and air.
I still had a way to go before I could learn about and face my true enemies, but I no longer thought it would take me decades to get there, perhaps another few years? Unless things really slowed down, but somehow I doubted that would be a problem. Chicago seemed to attract their fair share of supernatural crisis.
I was also more sure than ever about Sierra, and looked forward to a future together. She was gorgeous, generous, loving, sexy, caring, sweet, and very affectionate. She was also more than strong enough to keep me honest and not put up with any crap. That was kind of comforting, I knew if I ever started to veer down the wrong path in my pursuit of power she’d call me out on it. She was a blessing in my life, something I never really believed I would find.
Aitheria and I were good, more than good. Except, I still didn’t know what I was missing, and for some reason that bothered me more than not knowing about my mother’s killer, and my enemy. The small elemental woman was and still is one of the bedrocks in my life.
Aitheria sent in a snippy scandalized tone, “Small?”
I sent a mental chuckle her way, “Small but the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
Aitheria scowled, “This body isn’t real.”
The corners of my mouth turned up in a small smile as I simply asked, “Who says I was talking about that body Ria?”
She looked entirely speechless as she stared up at me from my shoulder with swirling eyes, and then turned her head away bashfully. I swear she’d be blushing if she was capable of it. Point for Ben.
It wasn’t all good though. I still hadn’t heard from Mike, although Jenna had texted me a few times and I was expected at their house for our normal Wednesday night meal later in the week. Hopefully that wouldn’t be too awkward.
Even worse than that, the first supernatural I’d met outside of Aitheria, that I still loved to a certain extent, and had become my mentor in all things supernatural, hadn’t spoken to me since I’d told her about Sierra and I taking the next step. I knew Diana was in pain, and I felt a little guilty about it, but it really wasn’t my fault, and there was nothing I could do to fix it. We’d known for months we could never be together, but I guess me moving on was for her, like losing me, or I should say since we’d never even started, the possibility of me, all over again. I didn’t know what to do there at all.
“We ready to go home?” I asked, the fire was really burning good now, I’d bet the fire department would be here soon, but was also willing to bet it would be nothing but embers and ash by then.
Sierra nodded, stepped into me, and conformed her body to mine, and my arms automatically returned her embrace.
She grinned at my confused look and said in a seductive tone of voice, “You know, just to be careful with this crazy travel thing.”
I laughed, as I remembered our first time travelling, as I bade my element to take us home.
Afterword:
I hope you enjoyed this story, if you did please leave a review. Reviews are the lifeblood of independent authors, and I would appreciate greatly any constructive feedback or opinions. As usual, outside of the arcing plot that ties the series together, and character growth, I tried not to leave any cliffhangers or loose ends. It’s subject to change, but I expect another three, possibly four books to go before Ben’s story is complete.
About the Author: If you have any comments or suggestions you can send me an email at [email protected] If you like my work, or even if you don’t, please consider leaving a review of this book. I can also be found at https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7456808.D_L_Harrison
Other books by D. L. Harrison:
http://www.amazon.com/author/dlharrison
The Formerly Dark Mage, by D. L. Harrison – This stand-alone fantasy book follows the life of Silvia and takes place in a world unique and separate to our own.
Silvia is a dark mage. Unfortunately, she finds herself about to be sacrificed. Someone must have told her evil master about her plans to kill him and take over. After that, things just seem to go downhill. She has no choice but to escape the kingdom of Zual, something that to her knowledge has never been done before. She will need to deal with many issues she never had to face before.
Among those issues, the white mages, and her conscience.
Celia Winters Novel Series
Witch’s Moon: A Celia Winters Novel Book 1
Celia Winters was raised by her single mother, and her earliest memories are of the store her mother owns and the nearby coven, who have always been her family’s close allies and friends.
She grew up believing her magic was weak, but she was satisfied with her life, and happy. She was a midwife, healer, and supplier of surrounding covens.
Then her mother died, and she’s about to discover she isn’t who, or what, she believes herself to be, not completely. She will learn that her entire life up until now was a lie. She’ll need to figure out her place, who she is when she no longer recognizes herself, and try to hold on to her closest friends as she gathers enemies for the simple crime of her existence.
She’s stronger than she believes, but will it be enough?
Power of Air Series:
Just a Psychic: The Power of Air Book One starts off this series.
Ben has grown up with missing memories of his early childhood.
He has known he was a psychic since his earliest memories, seeing the future and gaining knowledge with his gifts.
Is it possible he isn't just a psychic?
Ben's world is about to be turned upside down as he turns twenty-one, all is not as it seems.
Alicia Jones novels is a series that follows a bright young inventor and scientist named Alicia Jones. It is a space opera and light science fiction.
The first book is titled First Contact:
Alicia Jones is a genius, and a little odd. At just twenty-three years of age, she is close to finishing her doctoral dissertation. But when she tests her latest theory in the lab to generate a strong EM field, it has very unanticipated results. Results that lead to faster than light travel, and first contact with another race.
Her life just gets more complicated after that, when she finds out who she really is, and that the universe may not be as nice a place as she’d been told. Her determination to help keep Earth safe takes her to places more dangerous and strange than she’d ever envisioned.
Book Description
It’s only been about ten days since the rogue pack came to Chicago.
Ben had been hoping for a little more down time before the next wave of impossible problems. His personal life is becoming more complicated than ever, but that won’t stop a coven of witches and an ancient rogue vampire from throwing more fuel on the fire.
Of course, all those problems may pale in comparison when another sorcer
er comes to town. He’ll need to think fast if he’s going to survive a foe with a strength and power that far exceeds his own.
Sorcerer: Witch's Woes: Power of Air (Book 3) Page 11