“No, we can’t,” Eudoxia immediately challenged as she lifted her fingers. A spell shot out, hitting Ceres squarely in the chest. The goddess flew back, crashing into the three witches behind her, who tumbled like bowling pins. Eudoxia gave me a cocky glance. “This goddess won’t stop until the fight is over. She feels that the Coalition is her rightful place. We must teach her otherwise. There will be nothing peaceful about this.”
I nodded. The Vampire Queen was right. It just seemed senseless to fight when they were so outnumbered. I had to tuck my human side away for a moment.
We all watched as Ceres staggered to stand. She hadn’t been expecting a fae spell. I wasn’t sure what made Eudoxia’s spells different than a witch’s spell, but it was plain to see that Ceres was not immune to Eudoxia’s power.
I reached out to touch the back of Jax’s arm so he’d know I was there. One false move and he could bash any of us out of his way, and I didn’t want to be at the receiving end of his fist. He stepped to the side to give me more room, but I knew he would lunge in front of me again if any real threat surfaced.
Julian’s wolves began to snarl, pacing in front of Jax, not knowing if they should attack or not. My father lifted his hand and made a circle gesture. The wolves behind us began to fan out, forming a semicircle around the battle ground.
By the look on Ceres’s face, she was less than amused with the current turn of events. She glanced in Romy’s direction for a brief moment. She didn’t dare engage the angel, who stood by with arms loosely crossed, a slight look of amusement on her face.
“Ma Reine, would you like me to look for the others?” Naomi asked from her position on the other side of Danny. “If you are busy fighting those here, I can fly into the bunker to see if I can locate them.”
“In a minute,” I said. “There’s something going on here that we aren’t grasping just yet. Even with our show of force, Ceres isn’t acting like she’s going to lose. Neither is Julian. It doesn’t make any sense. They’d only feel that way if they have an ace in the hole we don’t know about.”
“Oui,” Naomi replied. “It would seem that way. Give me the command when you are ready, and I will go.”
“It’s surprising our friends haven’t emerged on their own,” Danny said. “That bunker’s in shambles, and no one is guarding them. It doesn’t make any sense.”
“No, it doesn’t,” I agreed. “Something’s going on here.” I turned to my mate. “Are you picking up on anything? They are radically outnumbered. They should be fleeing or battling hard.”
“Nothing of any significance,” Rourke replied. “I don’t understand it either.”
“I think we’re about to find out,” Tyler said. “Look, she’s coming this way.”
Sure enough, Ceres marched toward us.
Eudoxia sniffed, “Don’t let her get too close to you.”
I looked at her. “Why?”
“Because she’ll render you infertile.”
27
“Can’t she do that from anywhere?” I asked. After all, fertility was her specialty. You’d think it wouldn’t matter how close she was.
“From what I understand,” the Vampire Queen stated in a bored tone, “she must be touching you. And by the look on her face, she’s planning to do something of the sort.”
That, she did.
It was amazing that she looked as confident as she did. The three witches trailed in her wake, the wolves moving in behind them. Julian was the only one who stood back. His face showed trepidation, but also satisfaction.
“Okay.” I addressed the group. “I want you on high alert. They are outnumbered, but still looking sure of themselves. If anybody catches a glimpse of anything, I want to know about it.”
“Do you want me to dispatch her?” Jax rumbled.
I was taken off guard by his question. Did he mean kill her? I didn’t want Ceres’s death to rest on his shoulders for an eternity. I also hoped a fifteen-year-old, even though he was ensconced in a gigantic, fearsome body, would have a little more hesitation when it came to killing. But Jax had seen his parents killed and had witnessed a lot of bloodshed in his brief years. With gargoyles hunting you, wanting to capture you as their own, it would be enough to put anyone on edge. I cleared my throat. “If she tries to touch me,” I told him, “you can bat her away, but don’t crush her skull or anything like that.”
Eudoxia turned her gaze on me. “This will end in her death. Let the giant dispense with her, and then we can all go home.”
I shook my head. “If anyone’s going to do the killing, it’s Tally. Once we free her, I’ll leave it up to the leader of witches, and she can decide what she wants to do. For now, we take control.”
“And how do you propose we do that?” Danny asked. “This goddess is seemingly fearless.”
I stepped slightly in front of Jax, facing the approaching goddess. I held my hand up in front of me. “Stop,” I commanded. “The games end here, Ceres. Name your threat, so we can answer it.”
Her lips were pressed in a thin line, but she halted her progress, stopping twenty feet in front of me. “You will kneel before me,” she smirked, “or I will rip the children from your womb. You risk their lives by trifling with me. Once you all have submitted, we will kill the witch leader and come to an agreement about power. I am the most powerful witch in this realm, and that Coalition seat is mine.”
I was so stunned at her words, I stumbled.
Gigantic hands steadied me as my mate let out a low, threatening sound.
What was she talking about?
I wasn’t pregnant, was I?
My hands immediately went to my stomach, covering it protectively. I looked inward to my wolf. Is it true? My wolf yelped. I concentrated deeply and could sense the presence of two beings, but they were only days old—if that. Nothing more than tiny clusters of cells.
I slowly raised my head.
Rage engulfed me. “You threaten the lives of my unborn children?” Beside me, Rourke dropped to the ground and began to shift. “Not exactly a wise move, Ceres.” My voice was hardened.
“It’s you who threaten them by not surrendering to me,” she scoffed. “I will not be defeated. I have lived a thousand years and will live a thousand more. It is not your place to take over. I deserve that power!”
“It has nothing to do with deserving anything,” I said, anger radiating through me. “Power chooses those who are strong and worthy. You are neither.” Rourke rose on all fours, a towering big cat with three-inch fangs. “You’ve gone too far and there is no way back. It has always been my way to seek clemency where I can. But to leave you alive, knowing you would harm my children, is unthinkable.”
“There is nothing you can—”
Rourke bounded forward, taking no more than two strides before leaping, hitting the goddess squarely in the shoulders, knocking her to the ground.
“Take out the witches and the wolves,” my father bellowed as he stalked forward, his eyes pinned on Julian. The wolves around him whipped into action.
Tyler’s voice was frantic in my mind. Stay here, he pleaded. Don’t risk the babies. I can’t believe I’m going to be an uncle. That’s totally awesome.
“I will not leave your side,” Danny stated. “And apparently, neither will this big guy.” He jabbed his thumb toward Jax, who had not moved an inch and growled if any of the wolves got too close. They gave him a wide berth, even the ones on our side.
“Naomi,” I ordered. “Take Kayla with you and go check out the bunker. This will be over shortly.” I scanned the scene in front of me, eyes locking on Romy. The angel gave me a small nod, then turned and walked away.
Naomi addressed Kayla. “Have you ever been for a ride before?”
“No, but I’m ready,” Kayla stated firmly.
I felt pride in my team and in my family.
My hands crept down to my belly. Now that I knew I was carrying twins, there was very little chance my family would allow me to fight, and they were rig
ht to be protective.
Now I knew why Enid had spared me.
A long time ago, my wolf had flashed me an image of two children, a boy with dark hair like my own and a girl with blonde hair like her father’s. It moved me then, as much as it did now. Piecing together all that had been said today, I understood.
I would be giving birth to a reincarnate, not Ardat Lili.
The female child inside me would have a special soul and memories I would have to help her understand. And once she became old enough, I would have to let her go.
This was my sacrifice.
To give up a child I called my own.
But it wouldn’t be only my sacrifice. It would be Rourke’s, as well as her unborn brother’s, who would both feel her loss acutely. I glanced up at the sky as the battle continued around me, tears forming in the corners of my eyes. “I can only thank you for granting me two,” I whispered to anything or anyone who happened to be listening. “I will do my duty and carry out my sacrifice. I can only hope the love we will share between us will see us through.”
I lowered my head, and my eyes immediately locked on Rourke.
He was still in his cat form, blood staining his face and neck. I love you, was all he said as he began to pace back to me.
My mate had likely figured this was a possibility before Ceres’s announcement, and yet he’d stayed strong for me. He was a fierce warrior, but this would challenge the bounds of his love. Relinquishing his daughter to the unknown would be unbearable.
I love you too, I told him.
We will figure this out. His voice held pain as well as strength.
I know.
“There’s Naomi.” Danny gestured excitedly. “She’s carrying someone. It’s a small someone, so it must be the witch leader.”
Naomi indeed carried a body out of the bunker. Tally was petite, barely five feet tall. She looked breakable in Naomi’s arms and was out cold.
The battle for the most part had ended, and I rushed forward, Danny and Jax by my side. “Set her down over here.” I indicated a clear patch of grass.
Naomi complied, laying her down gently. Tally’s snow-white hair fanned out beneath her. I knelt next to her, my hand going to her shoulder. “Tally, can you hear me?” I angled my head down over her chest, listening for a heartbeat. It was there. I glanced up. “Where are the others?”
“We’re right here,” Ray grumbled as he emerged from the bunker, followed by James and then Marcy.
Marcy rushed to my side, dropping beside her aunt. Her eyes were frantic. “Why isn’t she waking up? We woke right up when Naomi touched us.”
“I don’t know,” I said. “What happened to you? How were you taken?”
“I can’t really remember,” Marcy said. “We were all walking around investigating this area, and then I woke up two minutes ago with Naomi looking over me.”
“You woke up on your own?” I asked, glancing down at Tally, who was still unconscious. “Or you woke up when Ceres ceased to be alive?”
“I have no idea,” she answered. “But it doesn’t matter right now, because she’s not waking up.”
I put a hand on Tally’s forehead. “I think your aunt is in Stasis,” I said. “Maybe she didn’t start out that way, but her body, in trying to protect itself, got there on its own.” My body had done the same for me once before. It had formed a protective cocoon, and I hadn’t been able to escape it on my own. My brother had had to step in. That much powerful insulation could preserve a supernatural for years on end.
“Okay, that makes some sense,” Marcy said.
“Do you know if there’s a spell for breaking Stasis?” I asked.
Marcy bit her lip. “Not that I know of. We have many spells to put you to sleep, but not to wake somebody from a self-imposed hibernation state.”
“I was like this once, and Tyler got me out by giving me power,” I said. “I can do the same for her, but it’s risky. She’s strong, but my power is magnified and unpredictable. It will be hard to know how much to give her.”
“Oh, please. This old biddy will figure it out on her own,” Marcy replied confidently. “Give it to her, and I bet she wakes up in less than a minute.” There was a growling noise behind us, and we both glanced up. The last of Julian’s wolves was defeated. Marcy appeared shocked as she glanced around at the battle scene. “What the heck happened up here while we were out? Is that Ceres lying on the ground without her head?” Marcy made a sound in the back of her throat. “Well, I guess that’s one way to kill a goddess.”
“She threatened to kill my unborn children.” My voice was hard, as it would be every time I recalled the incident. “Rourke did what he had to do.”
Marcy’s mouth fell open, then a big grin encompassed her face. “You mean I’m going to be an auntie times two? That’s fantastic!” She leaned over and threw her arms around me. When she pulled back, her expression changed to anger. “If Ceres threatened to harm them, losing her head was a kind way to go. She deserved a heap of pain for even uttering such a thing.”
I nodded once, my focus back on Tally.
“Just hit her with the juice,” Ray said over my shoulder. “She’s a tough SOB. It won’t harm her.”
“Yes, by all means,” Eudoxia said, strolling up to us, “do it now. I have places to be.”
I tilted my head up at Eudoxia. “Does every single thing always have to be about you?”
“Of course,” she said. “Now hurry up.”
Eudoxia moved almost too quickly for me to track.
Something had come up behind me.
By the time I’d jumped to my feet, the Vampire Queen held someone by the throat. “If you threaten one of us, you threaten us all,” Eudoxia seethed into Angie’s scared face. At least the witch had the gumption to look afraid. She should be. She’d just pissed off the Fae Queen.
“Let go of me,” Angie snarled, recovering her bravado quickly. “She deserves to die, and I’m finally going to be the one to do it! I should’ve done it the first time we met,” she raged, “but I’ll make it right.” She lifted her hands, her fingers beginning to wiggle.
Jax let out a huge roar and took a step forward.
I stilled him with a look. He obeyed and stayed put.
“I think not, little girl,” Eudoxia said. “My spells don’t require me to move my fingers.” Within moments, Angie was gasping for air. Her eyes widened as she realized her fate. Her body began to shrivel at a rapid pace as we watched, the liquid inside essentially drying up. When the Fae Queen finally let her go a minute later, she was nothing more than a shell as she crumpled to the ground. I gaped, only to incur Eudoxia’s ire. “She was going to kill you!” she snarled. “You still have much to learn about the ways of our world. You had better catch up, because there is no room for children on the Coalition.”
I smiled. “I’m not freaked out about what you did to Angie,” I corrected. “I’m certain Rourke wishes he’d been in your position right then. What I’m freaked out about is what you said a few minutes ago, and I quote, ‘If you threaten one of us, you threaten all of us.’ Did you actually mean that?” I arched an eyebrow at her. “You had my back. Amazing. It’s a brand new world.”
She scoffed, looking down and adjusting her skirts. “If we do not protect each other, we appear weak. The Coalition is fragile, and it will take time for the world to respect us. We are a united force, whether we like it or not.”
“So, in other words, you finally found your itty-bitty heart,” I said as I knelt beside Tally again. “It’s about time, you know. I was getting tired of waiting.” I grinned, knowing she was scowling.
Before Eudoxia could retort, Marcy sighed. “Sorry to interrupt, but I’m anxiously waiting to hear from this bag of bones. I need to know where my baby cousin-niece is. Let’s get this show on the road.”
I closed my eyes. My wolf was already gathering power, which had manifested in a throng of different colors all wrapped into one. One concentrated burst should do it, I told
her. I don’t want to give Tally too much at first. We can always give her more. I have a feeling Marcy is correct, and once will be enough.
I settled my hands on Tally’s shoulders and inhaled, forcing the magic out of my body through the tips of my fingers. “Here you go,” I told her. “If you can hear me, use this power to burst out of the bubble.”
The moment my magic entered her body, she gasped for air, her eyes flicking open. She lunged upward, grabbing the front of my shirt in her fists, her voice hoarse as she demanded, “Where’s my daughter?”
28
“I don’t know,” I answered. “But we’re going to find her.”
Tally scrambled up, looking no worse for wear. She’d been out for weeks, ever since we left the Underworld, but she did not look it. She was back to her badass self in less than one minute, just like Marcy said she would be.
There was no greater witch to sit on the Coalition. This was why the power had chosen her.
“What about my Coven?” she asked, glancing around, spotting Angie, and turning back to me for an explanation.
Marcy said, “I’ve been trying to get a hold of them, but they haven’t answered my calls.”
Tally embraced her niece. “It’s good to see you.” She turned back to me. “Who was with Ceres?”
“There were only three witches with the goddess, including Angie, and I believe they are all dead.” Angie’s death had been gruesome, but not unjust. “Do you remember what happened? You’ve been out for a couple of weeks, at least.”
She pressed a hand to her temple. “Yes, I recall most of it. We were keeping the circle open, awaiting your arrival, and there was a big disturbance. Something changed.” She dropped her hand and met my gaze. “I’m not talking about the weather changing. I’m talking about a piece of the fabric in all of us changed in an instant.” She snapped her fingers.
I nodded. “I believe that’s when I killed Ardat Lili. It somehow rerouted the course of Fate for many of us. What happened next?”
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