Durant’s size made some of the daggers look like toothpicks. He saw her looking and winked. “Throwing daggers.”
They were obviously made for a smaller hand…a woman’s hand. Others, like the giant sword high on the wall, stood taller than her small frame. As she drew near, she noticed a faint glow under the bench.
With great reluctance, Heloise moved toward the door. “We need to go.”
Curiosity got the best of Raven, and she dropped to her hands and knees. Pressed against the wall, as if it had fallen behind the bench and been forgotten, rested a small sword. Her hands curled into fists to keep from reaching for it.
“What did you find?”
Raven jerked back to see Randolph stooping beside her, peering under the bench.
She hadn’t even felt him approach.
“Nothing.” She wanted to shove him away from the sword, already feeling possessive of the damned thing.
When she pushed herself up and made to stand, he latched onto her wrist. His hold was just short of bruising, not letting her retreat. “What did you see?”
Durant quickly approached, a scowl darkening his face, and Raven raised her free hand to ward him off, terrified what would happen if Randolph got his hands on him. “I’m fine.”
He stopped a foot away; his legs splayed and arms crossed, an imposing alpha determined to defend what was his.
Stubborn ass.
He was going to get himself killed.
Randolph tightened his grip, not liking the way her attention wandered away from him, and she held back a wince. “I saw a sword.”
“What does it look like?”
Though she was reluctant to share, he wasn’t going to budge. The thought of him reaching back and touching the blade sent rage swirling through her. “Old. Little over three feet long. Two-edged. Pointed.”
“It’s a bastard sword. It can be used for two-handed fighting or single-handed for fast combat.” Randolph grinned, his eyes gleaming with excitement. “Pull it out.”
She wanted the sword so much she nearly did as he asked. Instead she stepped back, her heart pounding against her ribs so hard, she feared she might have a heart attack. “No.”
Her creature rose, snarling in denial.
At first Raven thought it woke to protect her, but again and again she found her eyes drawn to the light under the bench. The beast wrestled her for control, trying to force her to do its bidding. Her head pounded under the assault, and it was all she could do to hold her ground.
It didn’t want Randolph anywhere near the sword.
Randolph rose to his feet, hands raised and walked backwards with no expression on his face.
A dark suspicion took root. Though he didn’t harbor an animal, his power was very similar to her own. Possibly stronger than hers. If the blade had selected her, the likelihood it might work for him as well left her nauseous.
Knowledge flickered in his eyes, and she knew the same thought had crossed his mind. Then he stopped, still within grabbing distance. “Either you claim it, or I will.”
It was a threat, and a quite effective one.
She took a step toward the bench, and the creature stopped throwing herself at the prison of Raven’s body, and sat hunched, ready to pounce if Randolph came within swatting distance. Raven wasn’t sure she’d be able to hold it back next time.
She suspected she was falling for one of Randolph’s schemes. Why risk his life to grab the sword first when she could do it for him? If she survived, she’d have to be prepared for him to come after it.
And he would eventually.
Raven knelt, and Durant came to her side. “You don’t have to do this.”
But he was wrong. Without the sword, the fortress would fall to the Prime. She would lose him. “If we don’t defeat the Prime here, he will keep coming after me and destroy whatever stands in his way.”
His eyes flashed in protest, but he didn’t say a word. They both knew it was true.
Surprisingly, the witches didn’t try to stop her.
They were up to something.
Raven lay flat and reached for the blade. Her fingers brushed against the pommel, and electricity jolted up her arm and invaded her body. For a few seconds, she couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move, as the raw energy swelled over her. Her muscles jumped and curled even after her fingers dropped away. Just when she got her breath back, the sword scraped across the stone floor, sparks flew, and it slammed into her palm.
Her fingers automatically curled around the hilt.
The jolt was gentler this time. Her teeth clicked together, clenched tight until she thought they’d crack. Every hair on her body stood at attention. Just when she thought her blood would boil, the agony dialed back.
Strong arms grabbed her ankles, and she was dragged backwards.
Her arm was still partially hidden when Durant rolled her onto her back. His golden eyes peered down at her, his obvious alarm making them gleam wildly. He ran his hands down her body, searching for injuries.
She didn’t bother protesting, since he wouldn’t stop until he was satisfied.
Randolph was impassive, but she could tell he was disappointed.
Heloise and the others came near, smug smiles on their faces. “There are precautions against those who think to steal what’s ours. I would have explained if you bothered to listen, but you wanted to see the weapons.”
Raven resisted the urge to kick the woman’s feet out from underneath her. Instead, she brought her hand out from under the bench, the sword firmly in her grip.
Randolph smiled in delight while the witches fell back, eyes wide in fear. “That’s not possible. Only the Primes are strong enough to wield these weapons.”
They looked ready to rip it from her hands and kill her for daring to take it. Surprisingly, it was Randolph who blocked their way. “The weapon has chosen.”
Now that Raven was holding the sword, she could see Randolph’s golden energy swirl around him as he gathered his power to fight in her defense. The witches’ energies weren’t as clear. Their power rose from the ground in hues of greens and browns.
It was raw energy, but not pure like the energy she and Randolph used.
Durant took her arm and helped her stand, and she leaned into him, grateful for his support when her legs wobbled. The sword was surprisingly light, fitting her grip as if it had been made for her. The blade was riddled with nicks, the steel solid rust. One blow would cleave in two.
“This gives us a way to beat the Prime.” Raven thought they would be pleased.
Heloise’s expression revealed nothing, but her eyes were pitch black again. The venomous glares of the other two revealed that they had tried to claim a weapon and failed.
“It’s sacrilege.”
“Then you feel it would be better if we all die?” Her hands flexed on the hilt. She’d be damned if she’d give up her sword, not if it made it possible to keep her pack alive.
Chapter Twenty-two
They were back in the auditorium. The witches were shocked and outraged, unable to take their eyes off the sword Raven held.
Durant leaned over and bumped her shoulder. “You look badass.”
Raven snorted at the outrageous lie.
The mountain shook and groaned under the constant barrage, the blasts landing almost on top of each other now. A particular nasty blow rattled the room, and the towers holding the ceiling up swayed dangerously.
“Enough.” Heloise stood in front of the dais for everyone to see. “The wards are falling. In less than an hour, they will be gone and the Prime will be through.”
The room fell eerily silent. Raven went to stand next to Heloise. “I don’t care about your secrets, I have enough of my own. I came because you asked for my help.”
All eyes locked onto her, and it was all she could do not to shift uncomfortably under their hostile stare. Her whole life she’d been programed to hide in the shadows, never reveal herself for fear others would find out she was different, and start hunting
her in earnest.
“You don’t believe in me, but you believe in this.” Raven lifted the sword in her hand. “I have no intention of dying here, but we need to stand united if all of us are to survive.”
She pointed to the shifters. “We’ll do a three-pronged attack, shifters against shifters, witches against witches, while my people try to take down the Prime.”
“Do you honestly think this will work?” One of the wizards in the back stood, the question both a demand and a plea for reassurance.
“I know if we do nothing, we’ll die. If we escape and do nothing, he’ll grow stronger and decimate everything in his path. I don’t know about you, but I don’t plan to stand around and do nothing while the world burns.”
Heloise gave her a nod and took over the preparation. “We’ll attack just before sundown.”
While Heloise put forth the rest of the plan, Raven slipped out the back of the auditorium.
“Where are we going?” Dominic straightened from where he was leaning against the wall. His frame was gaunt, he appeared haunted without his wolf, but he hadn’t broken under the strain, which she would be forever grateful.
“We’re going to talk to the infected, and see if they want to get a little payback instead of being killed like lab rats.”
“Want some company?”
“I want more than that. I want you to lead the shifters in battle, and kill as many of those bastards as you can.”
His smile was all teeth, his eyes vicious. “It will be my pleasure.”
* * *
It was an hour before the prepared attack. Raven sat in her room, staring down at the sword, wondering what the hell she thought she was doing. She wasn’t a fighter; she barely held her own against a shifter in a one-on-one battle.
How was she supposed to use a rusty sword to save the world?
“You look like you’re ready to run.” Luca peered into the room as if unsure of his welcome.
“I don’t even know how to use this thing.” She lifted the sword, waving it in the air as if it was a useless branch she found on the ground. “How am I supposed to defeat a Prime?”
Luca smiled and stepped into the room. “I can help you with that.”
Her brows rose in surprise. “Really?”
Luca crossed his arms, almost vibrating with excitement. “Every child born with any power dreams of becoming a Prime. Students study everything they can get their hands on in the hope that one day they might pass their test.”
“Did you?”
His smiled dimmed, not masking his bitterness. “I’m a wizard. I’m not eligible.”
Raven snorted at the ludicrous comment. “That’s their loss. I don’t think being chosen has anything to do with power, but the purity of the soul. You would have been chosen in a heartbeat.”
His smiled dropped away completely, and he straightened. “Really?”
Raven lifted the sword and raised a brow. “You think you’re not good enough because you’re not a witch. You’re wrong. I’m living proof you don’t need to be a witch. When this is over, I want you to take the test. I saw much more than weapons in the armory, and I think you might find the contents very interesting.”
He nodded, hope shining in his eyes.
Raven shoved to her feet and inhaled deeply. “Now show me how to use this thing.”
“You need to inject your power into the blade.”
Raven blinked. “Say again?”
Luca smiled at her confusion. “Sorry, it’s a first-year lesson. I forgot you wouldn’t know.”
“Pretend I know nothing.” She rolled her eyes and muttered, “You wouldn’t be far off the mark.”
“I doubt that.” He rubbed his chin. “You’re most likely a natural. You and the sword bonded when it claimed you. When you call your magic, the sword should automatically draw it.”
“Then what?”
His smile faded, and he shrugged. “I don’t know. That’s part of the Prime training, and they don’t share that information.”
Raven lifted the rusted sword, twisting it this way and that. “What do you say that we give this a try?”
Excitement gleamed in his eyes. “Can I watch?”
“Sure.” Actually, she preferred it. At least one of them would know what the hell they were doing. “Here goes.”
She reached for the current that had once been so much a part of her. Much to her surprise, the creature didn’t stop her. The familiar sizzle rose up from her bones like a swirling storm.
Nothing happened.
She boosted the energy until the room crackled with it. The kid’s hair stood on end, and he reached out to touch the invisible winds with a wide-eyed look of wonder she found endearing. Conceding defeat, she allowed the power to drop. “What did I do wrong?”
Luca’s brows scrunched as he cast about for answers. “I don’t know.”
“Maybe I wasn’t chosen after all.”
But he was already shaking his head. “You were able to enter the room, so the weapon was meant for you. You wouldn’t be able to lift it otherwise. They change to fit the one who wields them, growing heavier or lighter, the hilt altering to fit your grip.”
She tipped the rusted blade in the light. “Could it be defective?”
A boyish smile flashed across his face, and he flipped his hair out of his eyes. “More like user error.”
“That’s what I was afraid of.” Raven sighed and tossed the sword on the bed, then stared at it as if would tell her its secrets if she glared hard enough.
“They say the sword will guide your hand in battle.” Luca offered the piece of information as if he felt bad for her.
Nothing like taking an untried weapon into battle with no clue how to use it. “I heard Primes can remove powers. Is that ability connected to the weapons or the Prime?”
He shrugged his bony shoulders. “Way over my head. They don’t share the trade secrets with us seconds.”
They both fell silent, and a nasty shockwave hit the mountain hard enough that she staggered. She turned toward the boy, her heart clenching at the thought of sending him into battle. “When you go out there, stick as close to the shifters as you can. Keep your back to the wall. I’ll ask my man Dominic to keep an eye on you if it’s at all possible.”
Luca listened closely, as if memorizing everything she said. It was so very little to offer him.
He swallowed hard, jitters at the upcoming battle dancing in his eyes. “Anything else?”
“You’re quick with casting, but they’re stronger. Pick your battles. Work with others to take down your opponents. Be sneaky. This is war. There is no such thing as being fair. And for heaven sakes, stay alive.”
He straightened and gave her a two-fingered salute to his forehead. “Aye-aye, commander.”
She scowled at him, but he only laughed and walked toward the door.
“Hey, kid.”
He glanced over his shoulder at her, a brow raised in question.
“After this is over, you should come visit me sometime.”
All joking dropped away as he stared at her with wide eyes. “Like a sponsorship?”
Faced with such devastating hope, she found herself nodding.
“Thank you.” When he turned, he nearly smacked into the wall. “Thank you!”
His footsteps thundered down the hall, and a second later, she heard a whoop of pure joy, and she couldn’t help smiling. It eased the fear that she might never see him again.
“I hope you know what you’re doing.”
Raven whirled to see Rylan filling the doorway, staring after the retreating wizard. “I gave him a reason to fight smart and stay alive.”
He heaved a sigh. “Do you know what a sponsorship means to a witch?”
Her gut sank, and a deep oh, shit feeling took over. “Sponsorship means giving money, like buying cookies from a little girl.”
Rylan entered the room, stopping short when he spotted the blade on the bed. “Not exactly.”
“You’d think that I would have learned my lesson by now, wouldn’t you?” She rubbed her brow and plopped down on the edge of the bed. “What did I promise him?”
“After he graduates, you promised him an apprenticeship. Only the top ten percent are ever chosen.”
“And let me guess…never any seconds.”
He shook his head. “Witches are very possessive. Because he’s a second, they might make an exception.”
“But only if I make it a condition of fighting with them today.”
“You’re catching on how this paranormal thing works. By offering him a place, you give them the perfect opportunity to plant a mole in your pack.” He gave a wry smile, then leaned forward to nudge the blade. It was everything she could do not to twitch with the urge to lean over and snatch it away. The instant his fingers touched the hilt, a puff of smoke rose, and he jerked back. Two of his fingers were seared.
“Tell me that’s not what I think it is.” His voice was bland, but it did nothing to hide the reprimand shading his eyes black.
Raven shrugged her shoulders and heaved a sigh. “Don’t get all excited. It’s not like I can make it work.”
“But you can touch it.” It was an accusation.
“Yes.” Feeling another surge of possessiveness about the darn thing, she pulled it closer, anything to put distance between him and the sword.
“I bet the witches just love you right about now.”
Raven grimaced. “You could say that. If there wasn’t an enemy literally at the gate, I don’t think you would have to worry about ever seeing me again.”
Rylan laughed, his whole face relaxing into the handsome man who made her breath catch. “I very much doubt that. If you put your mind to it, you can do anything.”
If only that were true.
Another blow hammered the mountain, and all the good cheer between them faded. “Tell me what you have planned.”
“We’re going to go out the main exit, along with most of the witches and the shifters. There will be two small groups leaving through the side exit to flank them.”
His eyes narrowed as he studied her. “Did you volunteer to take on the Prime, or did they order you to be the first line of defense?”
Electric Heat (A Raven Investigations Novel Book 3) Page 24