by Linsey Hall
My friends joined the attack, throwing fire and weapons. But we were too slow. One of the figures in the back set up an alarm, pressing a lever on the wall that made a siren wail.
“Shit.” Cass spun to face us. “Get out of here. Go find them. We’ll hold these ones off.”
She was right. With the alarm sounded, forces would rally, and some would go toward the prisoners.
I sprinted away, Nix and Roarke on my heels. Declan stayed behind with Cass and Claire, fending off the remaining red cloaks.
The three of us sprinted out of the room and down a wide hall. It was empty and windowless, with old yellow bulbs in the ceiling for light.
“Where is she?” I asked Nix, praying that her dragon sense would work.
“Straight ahead and to the right.”
We ran full tilt, not bothering to silence our footsteps. I drew my sword from the ether, gripping the hilt tight as I ran.
Footsteps thundered above us as troops rallied. Was Acius here now? Would I get to face him?
Grim hope swelled in my chest. I hoped so. I wanted to take the bastard out, once and for all.
We hit the end of the hall and turned right, sprinting toward a man at the end.
“A guard,” Nix said. “They’re behind that door.”
Roarke put on a burst of speed and raced into the lead. The guard turned to face him, his hand raised. He threw a blast of blue energy at Roarke, but missed when Roarke dodged. Before the guard could power up another blast, Roarke reached him and grabbed his head. He grunted as he tore it right off his body. Blood sprayed, but Roarke didn’t seem to care. He didn't even dodge the spray, just tossed the head and turned to the door, crashing through it.
“Not much for subtlety, is he?” I asked Nix, almost giddy at the idea of finally seeing Mari.
“Not when Del is at risk.”
We sprinted into the room behind him. Immediately, I felt the charm that bound my magic. Just like at the prison. No wonder Del and Mari hadn’t been able to escape.
As soon as I saw Mari, my heart dropped. She lay on the ground, her eyes closed. Roarke had swooped up Del, who looked worse for wear. But she hadn’t been hit with the same curse as Mari.
I fell to my knees at Mari’s side. Her black makeup was smudged and nearly gone, her skin so pale she looked nearly transparent.
Gently, I touched her shoulder. “Mari. Mari!”
She opened her eyes. Pain gleamed in their depths. Immediately, I realized she hadn’t gotten to take the second dose of the antidote like I had. She was nearly gone.
I drew my potion bag from the ether and scrambled around inside, looking for the pep-up potion that Connor had given me. It wouldn’t fix her, but it would give her a bit of strength.
Vaguely, I was aware of Roarke, Del, and Nix going to guard the door as I poured the potion down Mari’s throat. She sputtered and gasped, but managed to swallow most of it.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“Peachy.” Her voice was barely a croak, and my heart twisted. The damned fallen angel had better have a cure here. It was our only hope. We’d bet everything on it.
“Does he have a cure?” I was so scared I could barely speak the words.
She nodded, grimacing. “Promised it if I gave him your location.”
“You should have!”
She gave a weak laugh.
“I can find the cure,” Nix said from the doorway. The sound of a fight outside indicated that Roarke and Del were holding someone off. “I feel it. On the top floor, to the left. Probably in a lab or something.”
“Let’s go get it.” I reached for Mari. “Let me help you stand.”
She rose slowly to her feet, agony evident in every motion. She must have caught sight of the worry on my face, because she said, “Hey, I’m doing great compared to earlier.”
I helped her stagger to the door, and realized that we weren’t going to get anywhere fast. Not as fast as we needed to, at least. Mari was just too weak. We couldn’t leave her, though. Not with the alert sounded.
“Roarke!” Nix cried.
He appeared in the doorway, his gaze going straight to Mari. He got the clue immediately, and raced to her side. “I’m going to pick you up, okay?”
Mari grimaced, then nodded.
Roarke swooped her into his arms, and we hurried from the room. In the hallway, Del had turned incorporeal, her blue Phantom form shining bright as one of the guards swiped at her with his huge blade.
It passed right through her, and she didn’t even flinch. A half second later, she turned corporeal again and sliced her sword through the man’s middle. She grunted as the blade cut through, then returned to her Phantom form.
“Let’s go,” Nix shouted. “I know where the antidote is.”
Thank fates for FireSouls.
Together, we sprinted down the hall and found the stairs. I led the charge, taking the stairs two at a time until I reached the top floor. I pushed open the door as quietly as I could manage.
The hall was empty.
Hell yeah.
We sprinted out, and I darted to the side, allowing the FireSouls to take the lead so they could take us to the antidote.
Nix and Del raced toward the end of the hall and turned right into a room. I ran in after them, immediately spotting the tables full of potion bottles and ingredients.
Oh, thank fates.
Nix raced toward one of the tables and grabbed up two blue bottles. “This is it. I can feel it.”
I yanked the bottles from her and hurried toward Mari, who was still in Roarke’s arms, looking like something the cat had dragged in. I pulled the cap off one tiny bottle and held it to her lips.
She drank, then glared at me, her color already improved as she scrambled out of Roarke’s arms. “Now take yours!”
“I will!” I reached for the cork.
Something slammed into me before I could open the vial. I flew backward and crashed into the table behind me, pain exploding within me. The tiny glass vessel that I’d been holding flew through the air. It felt like an electric shock had lit me up from within.
Despite the pain, I reached out for the antidote. Desperation stabbed me in the chest when I heard it shatter.
I could imagine the cure splashing uselessly against the wooden floor.
I scrambled upright, pain surging through my body. Through bleary eyes, I spotted Acius.
It had to be him. He had the electric power—the one that had put black burn marks all over The Weeds.
His ragged wings flared behind him, black feathers tipped in white. Only now did I realize that the white was damage from when he’d fallen. From the flame I’d seen in the painting.
He was tall and gaunt, but the aura of power that surged from him was enormous. He was in the room in the blink of an eye, a horde of his minions following.
Del, Nix, and Roarke charged the enemy forces, colliding with them in a blast of blood and magic.
It was chaos. Battle erupted in the small room, fire and ice flashing as mages shot their worst. Blood sprayed from Roarke’s claws, while Nix and Del fought like banshees. Del turned incorporeal immediately, her shining blue form dancing through the room, hair swinging as she turned corporeal long enough for her blade to slice through a red cloak. Nix fought with her massive mallet, doing enough damage that no one got close to her. Wally had shown up, and he was busy lighting a red cloak on fire.
I called on my mace, surging to my feet and charging for Acius.
Visions of Mari flashed in my mind, and rage like I’d never known filled me. This bastard was responsible for everything.
He laughed as he saw me coming. “I hoped you’d come to me.”
“You’re going to regret that.” I swung my mace at him, and he dodged, shooting another blast of electricity at me.
I darted left, but it plowed into my side. Pain shot through me, my muscles seizing, and I flew backward and smashed into the wall.
I staggered upright, but he was alre
ady turning to throw a blast of electricity at Nix. She took a hit to the right arm and tumbled backward.
Damn, this guy was too fast. Too strong.
I climbed to my feet and charged him, lengthening the chain on my mace so I could hit him from farther away. The heavy metal ball smashing into his arm, and he roared.
Instead of going down like I’d expected him to, he managed to stay on his feet and turned to face me. I conjured my shield just in time, going for a wooden one I had stashed in the ether for lightning fights. The electric shock that he sent toward me slammed into it. The force shoved me back against the wall.
I went down hard, crashing onto my butt. Normally I might be able to hold my ground, but between my weakness from the fire veins curse and Acius’s electric magic, I couldn’t keep up. He was going to kill me before the curse ever had a chance.
It took everything I had to stagger upright, all of me aching. As soon as I gained my feet, I caught sight of Declan surging through the door. Determination set his brow, and he headed straight for Acius, his blade raised.
Mari appeared at my side, dropping to her knees. She shoved something at me. “Here, drink this!”
I looked at her, shocked.
“It’s the antidote. I found another.” She held up an identical vial. “Take it!”
I grabbed it from her and swigged it back. A faintly floral taste hit me, then the fire in my veins faded. Within seconds, it was gone. Strength surged through me.
“Amazing, right?” she said.
“Totally amazing.” I‘d known I was growing weaker, but not how much weaker.
I leapt upright, and she followed.
We turned toward the battle. The room was nearly full—Cass, Claire, and Roarke had joined us, along with at least twenty of Acius’s minions. Quarters were too close for Mari’s bow, so she drew a sword and dived into the fray.
We were outnumbered but not overpowered. Acius’s cult members were strong, but nothing compared to us. He was the only one who would be an issue.
I raced for Acius, drawing a dagger from the ether. He and Declan were engaged in a sword fight that moved so fast I could barely see their blades.
When Acius’s back was to me, I hurled the dagger right at him. The steel sank into his left side, directly under the wing. He roared and turned, his sights landing on me.
Before I could so much as twitch, he threw a blast of electric energy at me. It slammed right into my chest, bowling me backward. I crashed into the wall, annoyance and pain surging through me.
Declan attacked him from behind, drawing his ire. Acius turned from me. I sucked in a painful breath and pushed myself off the floor, managing to stagger to my feet.
All around us, the tide of the battle was turning in our favor. When Connor, Aidan, and Ares appeared in the door, I knew we had the red cloaks beat. We’d just have to team up on Acius.
Long-range attacks were best for him, and I needed something original. Something he wouldn’t see coming. Because clearly, weapons weren’t working.
Declan fought him in front of a huge stained glass window, a violent tableau of two angels at war.
Quickly, I sliced my thumb with my finger, letting blood well. I called upon my dragon blood, imagining a new magic. A power I’d never used before. I’d witnessed a witch use it once and thought I could replicate it.
I crept toward Acius, careful to stay out of his line of sight, then raised my hand to my mouth. I blew across my palm like I was blowing Acius a kiss.
Pale white smoke drifted off my palm, and I whispered, “Sleep. Weaken.”
The smoke drifted over Acius, and he stiffened, swaying. He turned to me, his eyes widening as he saw me lower my palm. Understanding flickered in his eyes, and he mouthed the word, “Dragon Blood.”
Shock lanced me. I lunged for him.
Acius stumbled backward, my magic weakening his muscles as exhaustion dragged at him. Slowed him. Declan was moving in for the kill, but I got there first.
I gripped Acius’s neck, choking him. I pushed him against the wall. He was weak from the sleep magic, but I made sure to feed my nullification power into him. No way I’d let him blast me with his electric power. I could feel it fighting inside him, though, trying to burst free and zap me.
“What do you know about me?”
“Dragon Blood. Your signature—it’s so strong. You’ve made much magic, haven’t you?”
The question made horror slash through me.
What I’ve always feared.
That I’d make so much new magic I wouldn’t be able to control my signature and someone clever would figure it out.
It would be the end of me.
He grinned widely, delight shining in his weary eyes. “Join me, Dragon Blood. Together we can do great things.” Weakly, he gestured to the people beyond me. “We’ll evict them from Magic’s Bend and take it for our own. It’s the perfect city—protected from humans, hidden from the world. It should be darker. The residents of Grimrealm should move to the surface. Join me.”
His magic reached to me, darkness and power. He was trying to convince me to be on his side, using whatever snake-oil salesman gift he had.
To join him.
Hell no.
He had some kind of magic that pulled at me, because there was no way I’d ever want to join him. It was my job to protect Magic’s Bend, and I loved it. I believed in it. I’d been born a Dragon Blood, and it’d led me to my sacred duty—to protect Magic’s Bend as a Demon Slayer. This guy was just getting in my way. Another job to be done.
The most dangerous job I’d ever faced—but a job nonetheless.
“Why did you poison my sister and me?” I demanded.
“You stood in our way.” He smiled, as if he were complimenting me. I could feel his electric magic pulsing inside him. I fought to push more of my nullification magic into him, but I was flagging. He was too strong. “You foiled us both times, so I had to get rid of you.” He shook his head. “But no, I was wrong. You have proved to be so much more. With you, we can accomplish anything. Join us. I’ll make you a queen.”
Queen.
That had its appeal, but not if it came from him.
“Ew. No.” I shook him, conjuring a dagger. I had my answers. It was time to end this.
Acius’s eyes flicked to the dagger in my hand. Disappointment welled in their depths. “I hoped I’d had you. You would be perfect with me.”
“Never.”
I raised the dagger.
His magic burst out of him, an electric shock so strong that it threw me backward. I slammed into the wall, realizing that he’d probably been holding back. As soon as he’d realized what I was, he’d wanted to talk to me.
To try to convince me.
Aching, I started to drag myself up. Declan lunged for Acius.
But the fallen angel was too fast. He put on a burst of speed and plowed through the stained glass. It shattered in a riot of color, and he fell.
I sprinted to the window and looked down. He’d already had his wings out when he was fighting, and they spread wide, helping him surge on a current of air and fly high into the sky.
Next to me, Declan’s wings flared wide, and he leapt out the window, racing for Acius. Roarke sprinted by me, jumping out the window as well, taking off into the dark cavern.
Through the gloom, I could see Acius dig into his pocket.
No!
“A transport charm!” I shouted.
He hurled the red object to the ground. Red?
Transport charms weren’t red.
It shattered, sending streaks of red electric light shooting right for me. I dived left, skidding on the ground. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of the crimson light shooting toward the red cloaks. Ten of them still fought my friends. A sharp beam hit each of them, and they disappeared.
I scrambled through the shards of broken glass, not feeling the cuts, as I raced to see if Acius was gone.
When I looked out into the gloomy
cavern, I saw only Declan and Roarke.
“He escaped.” Frustration welled inside me, nearly exploding in my chest. I surged to my feet, wanting to scream. “That bastard escaped!”
“And he took his minions with him.” Mari nudged a fallen red cloak with her toe. “The living ones, at least.”
I heaved a sigh and leaned against the wall. The sight of Mari reminded me of everything that had been at stake just fifteen minutes ago.
She’d been nearly dead.
I’d been close on her heels.
I staggered to her and wrapped my arms around her, focusing on the win. Because this was a win.
“Thank fates we were in time,” I said.
She hugged me. “It was close. I’m not going to lie.”
“No kidding. You looked like death warmed over.” I pulled back and met her eyes. “Thanks for finding the antidote. I thought I was a goner.”
She smiled. “I was scared there for a bit.”
The word “scared” made a memory flare in my mind. I leaned close and whispered, “He called me Dragon Blood. I’ve made so much new magic that he sensed my signature.”
“Bastard.” Despair flashed on Mari’s face. “What will he do with that knowledge?”
Fear chilled me. “I don’t know.”
If he wasn’t trying to convert me to his side, to use me, would he rat me out?
But who would believe him?
Fates, I prayed he didn’t know about Mari. I had to believe he only knew about me. I had so much more new magic. Magic whose signature I hadn’t learned how to control. And I’d created the brief bit of sleep magic in front of him.
I turned to face the room, realizing that Cass, Del, and Nix were standing close enough to hear.
They know what I am.
The three shrugged.
“Doesn’t matter to us,” Cass said.
“Be a bit hypocritical if it did.” Nix laughed.
Shock raced through me. The secret that I’d kept for so long was out. A combo of exhaustion and rage had made us unwary.
“I’m, ah—” I didn’t know what to say. I felt like I should apologize for keeping the secret at all. Part of me stood by my decision. But another part…