By the time we got to Kincaid, she was rousing. Milo had her in his arms with not a single sign of strain on his face. Kincaid was tiny, but still it was impressive. They said strength was his gift but I hadn’t truly understood until I witnessed it.
“Grab her something to eat.” He said with a nod toward Garvin.
“Chocolate,” Garvin said authoritatively as he dug in the backpack on his shoulder. “With a premonition like that only chocolate will do.” He pulled out a Snickers bar triumphantly and gave it to Kincaid. “Chocolate and sex cures everything.”
Milo grumbled but managed a slight smile as Kincaid laughed at Garvin’s proclamation.
“Chocolate will have to do for now.” She told him with a smirk. Her gaze went to me and I raised an eyebrow. I wasn’t sure why I was taking the news of my impending death so well, but maybe it was a way of protecting myself. Dane had a death grip on me and I had the feeling he wasn’t letting me out of his sight now.
“I saw you and Milo come back with Mitchell, but you didn’t teleport directly into the circle.” She started, pausing to nibble on the candy bar. “He…Mitchell…struck out and hit Milo and you with some dark magic. Both of you fell, Milo over here.” She pointed to a spot outside of the circle. “And you fell inside the circle.”
“What makes you think I die?” I would have thought she would have been more worried about Milo than me in that instance.
“Dane fell too.” She murmured, casting her eyes down as I stepped back from her words or perhaps their implication. Dane tightened his grasp as I swayed and the others stood silently. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw devastation on Tori and Gloria’s faces.
“What do you mean, Dane fell too?” The words snapped out of me, sharper than I intended, but I needed to understand. She hadn’t seen Mitchell harm Dane so why would he fall? Why would she assume that meant I was dead?
“I had a vision before of Evan, our grandfather, killing Sinclair. When he did Luke died too. It’s like our lives are tied to them, our protectors, and our mates.” Kincaid said hurriedly, trying to explain the unexplainable to me.
“Sinclair isn’t dead. Neither is Luke.” My voice was dazed as I stated the obvious.
“Milo saw the vision through me and was able to stop it from happening.” She answered, her gaze sympathetic. I nodded carefully, wrapping my arm behind me to hug Dane.
“So, we can change it?” I asked and Kincaid nodded. “What else did you see?”
“I ran to Milo, Luke pulled out his gun to shoot Mitchell but he sent a spell toward him and Sinclair intercepted it. It threw her backwards and Mitchell went towards you.” Kincaid answered.
“Why would he come toward me? If I was dead?” I asked, trying to push the paralyzing fear I felt away so I could focus on the facts.
“He wants power more than anything.” Gloria replied to my question and I glanced at her. “Your death gives him only a small window of opportunity to collect the power from your blood. He wouldn’t lose his chance.”
“What about everyone else?” I gestured to the others standing around us.
“I didn’t see them.” Kincaid answered slowly, looking puzzled. “It was like they weren’t here.” I shook my head.
“That doesn’t make sense. We’re not bringing them so they must have been here.” I started pacing, and Dane moved with me, the hard expression on his face starting to worry me. “If Mitchell went towards me and I was in the circle…” I glanced over at Kincaid to make sure I was correct and she nodded. “Then he doesn’t know the circle nullifies his power. What happened after that?”
“He leaned over you and then there was a bright blue flash and I woke up.”
“A bright blue flash? Is that how your visions normally end?” Sinclair asked, her face doubtful.
Kincaid shook her head, “No, they usually just fade. I think something caused the flash. Some type of magic.”
“So there’s a chance we can still trap and destroy Mitchell.” My thoughts slipped out before I could stop them.
“No.” Dane roared, jerking me around to face him. “We are not taking that chance. She saw your death.” His impassioned words beat like a fist against my chest and I cupped his cheek.
“She also saw Sinclair’s death, but they were able to change it.” I murmured softly, hoping the chance I was taking was the right one. My death meant his as well and glancing over at Gloria and Tori, I could see they knew it. I was gambling with what was left of their family.
“I can’t take that risk.” He muttered, and his eyes narrowed as his expression hardened with determination.
“We’re prepared. We know what’ll happen and we can stop it.” I told him, the words resonating in my mind. “In fact, maybe that’s the point.” The others appeared confused as I worked it out in my head. “We know they’re supposed to be here but you didn’t see them in your vision. Maybe because Sinclair hid them using her illusion so Mitchell wouldn’t realize they were here either.” As I spoke I became more certain of what I said. “If we can’t get him in the circle we have to lure him there and what better way than one of us lying there dead?”
“But it would have to be believable.” Milo added, catching on.
“Right. So if Dane fell when I did he might believe I was actually dead and a dead daughter is easy pickings especially if the other two are worried about their own lovers.” I said, talking through my plan. Dane’s fingers tightened around mine as he shook his head.
“We have to try.” I whispered to him as his jaw worked. If he clenched his teeth any tighter they would crack. I ran my finger along the stubble on his cheek, and felt his tension. “I will survive. I promise. I would never allow anything to happen to you.”
He groaned and dragged me to him. “You think that worries me? My death? Darling, your life is my only concern. The thought of you dying….” He paused, and swallowed as if unable to articulate his emotions, and then shook his head. “It can’t happen even if I go too, alright?”
“Deal,” I promised, hoping like hell I could keep it. My heart was trying to flip flop in my chest at the thought of going after Mitchell and the risk I was taking with Dane’s life. I couldn’t see a way around it though, not without giving up our advantage, and we couldn’t afford that. There were too few of us compared to his coven. A direct attack would fail and even though Kincaid had seen what she believed to be my death I had to hope it was in fact a trick.
“Are we ready?” Milo asked, his arm wrapped around Kincaid. Dane’s hand convulsed around mine and I forced myself to nod. We had to do it.
Gloria reached up to pat my cheek. “Have faith, my darling girl. You were chosen for a reason.” She smiled, her head held high, as she forgave me for my choice. I nodded, biting my lip. Tori threw herself at me and I caught her with my free arm. “Stay safe,” she whispered and I replied, “You too.”
Milo brushed a kiss against Kincaid’s cheek and Patrick clapped him on the back. Portia gave us both a quick hug as she murmured, “Be careful.”
“I’ll cast an illusion hiding them from sight.” Sinclair said, her voice faint before growing stronger. “You won’t be able to see through it I don’t think, so don’t worry.”
We nodded, stepping away from them. Dane still held my hand, stopping me.
I smiled, every bit of love I’d ever felt for him rushing through me in that moment.
“We’ve had longer than most together and if today is the last day of my mortal life, I’ll be at peace. Because tomorrow we’ll start eternity together.” His face relaxed at my words and with a last squeeze he let my hand go.
“I’ll hold you to that.”
I focused and within seconds had the thread of dark magic. It tainted the other lines making it difficult to find an individual, but I needed Mitchell specifically. We wouldn’t have time to hunt for him so I had to get us to his precise location. After sorting through the dark strands, I found him. The threads of magic were still blue underneath, but they’d bee
n coated with black tar from the misuse of magic. Unsurprisingly, Mitchell’s was coated the thickest with the tar.
“Okay, I’ve got it.” I nodded at Milo, and he turned his back to me. We’d decided I would stay behind him when we teleported to give him the best advantage at grabbing Mitchell. “Ready?”
“You’re driving.” He smirked at me over his shoulder and I laughed. The tingling started almost immediately as I locked onto Mitchell’s location. “Whoa.” I heard Milo as we teleported but had no time to react as we found ourselves smack in the middle of a coven meeting.
Two dozen faces stared at us in shock and I couldn’t say my reaction was much better. I’d been successful in getting us to Mitchell, in fact we’d almost landed on top of him, but the roomful of witches and warlocks caught me off guard. However, Milo was not distracted from his goal as he charged Mitchell and managed to seize him just as he attempted to throw a spell at us, and I had a split second to see the rest of his coven reacting.
Dozens of spells came at us as I lunged for Milo’s shirt to teleport us. I could do it without touching them, in fact that’s what happened when we first landed in Garvin’s front yard, but that had taken a massive amount of power I wasn’t currently funneling, so touching him was the quickest method of getting us out.
The tingling I normally felt when I teleported was more of a jolt as the spells hit against us as we disappeared. We stumbled on our return, Milo’s grip on Mitchell loosened by the residual effects of a dozen spells slamming into us, and Mitchell reacted instantly. The force of the spell he used managed to knock me back even with the block I had ready. It would have been a killing blow if Kincaid’s vision hadn’t prepared me for the possibility.
Play dead! I screamed mentally to Dane as I landed inside the circle. From the peripheral of my eye I saw him drop and if I hadn’t known better I would have thought he’d died. I kept my eyes narrowed into slits to see what was happening, afraid the bright blue glow would give lie to my ‘death.’ Luke pulled his gun but was pushed back as Sinclair darted in front of him and Mitchell sent a spell toward them. Kincaid was on the ground by Milo and I couldn’t see the others. Sinclair’s illusion made it seem like no one else was around.
You’re okay? Dane’s frantic voice in my head drew my attention and I barely refrained from nodding in reply.
I’m fine. I pushed the thought toward him, hoping I sounded more confident than I felt as Mitchell turned toward me.
Do NOT take any unnecessary risks. He demanded and I felt his frustration at having to lie still on the ground as Mitchell approached me. Truthfully, I wanted to run as heat crawled over my skin and I hoped he didn’t notice the blisters forming on my arms. I forced myself to remain still as he came closer, each step bringing him further into the circle that would bind his own powers.
“So long I’ve waited for this moment and you so graciously invited me to the party.” He murmured with a chuckle. “You’re not very good at trickery, my dear. At least not with me, I was after all the one who set all of this into motion.” He twirled his fingers around indicating the area as I kept my breaths shallow. He couldn’t know I was alive, our plan had to work or I really would die here. “Playing possum won’t save you.”
My eyes flashed open at his words and he sneered.
“Obviously no one ever told you what my special ability is.” I shook my head, inching backwards from him. “Mind reading. A little talent I inherited from my own father. It seems to have mutated in you. You can’t read thoughts but you do have a bit of telepathic ability.” His face contorted in a grimace as he growled, “You could have been so much more than this sniveling child crawling on the ground. Your mother ruined you and all of my plans. We would have controlled all magic, but instead I’ll have to settle for taking what I can from your blood and making due.” He glanced over at Dane, who was no longer lying on the ground after hearing Mitchell’s little rant and had instead gotten up and looked prepared to leap on him. “Maybe he should be the first to go.” He flung his arm toward Dane before I could scream a warning, no longer certain our binding would work.
I watched as the spell hit the edge of the circle and a bright blue flash blinded me as the circle absorbed his spell. Dane stumbled back as a strong concussion seemed to emanate from the absorbed spell. The earth trembled and as I glanced up I saw a storm forming above us. Mitchell whirled around to face me, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his face for the first time as he realized he’d stepped into a trap. I flung my arm up right as he threw a killing spell toward me. The spell ricocheted, and this time when it hit the boundary of the circle flames leapt up from the ground. Rain started to pour from the sky, but did nothing to damper the flames.
I stood carefully, having felt the strength of his dark magic when he’d thrown the spell at me. We hadn’t bound his powers with the circle, only contained them within it and at the moment I happened to be the only target for his rage. My feet tingled with the desire to teleport, but before I could Sinclair and Kincaid leapt through the flames.
“Oh, would you die already?” Kincaid muttered, shaking her curls from her face. “You’re like a bad penny.”
“I’m also your father.” He said with a sick smile. “And with all of you in here I can kill you and gain enough power to break out of this cage you’ve built.”
“You wish.” I hissed, bracing myself for his next attack.
“Our mother built this cage, you bastard. The same one that outsmarted you and made sure we would never be under your influence or control. You’ll die here, your bones left to rot just as hers were.” Sinclair’s vicious words had him whipping around toward her and the gun she held in her hand. “I’ll be my pleasure to watch you die.”
Your pocket. The thought slammed into me, rocking me back and I fumbled for my pocket. Dane’s voice held an urgency that made me turn to search for him, but the flames were too high. My hand curled around a slender metal object and I jerked it from my pocket to see a switchblade. They’re a distraction. You have to kill him. We can’t break through the circle.
If they couldn’t cross the circle there was a good possibility I couldn’t teleport out of it. A tingling sensation raced across my skin as I tried, and failed to get myself out of the circle we’d built to bind him. My hands shook at the realization that I was trapped with him and my sisters were nothing more than an illusion. I gripped the switchblade tighter, determined not to lose the slender opportunity they’d managed to give me.
I couldn’t teleport out, but I could still teleport within the circle.
Slit his throat. The heart will be too difficult. This time it was Kincaid’s voice I heard and I didn’t waste a moment as he turned hearing the thoughts echo in my mind.
I teleported behind him, yanking his head back by his hair as I pulled the knife across his throat. Blood sprayed across the circle, sizzling as it hit the flames. I let him go and he dropped to his knees, his eyes staring sightlessly as his reign of dark magic collapsed with him.
“You did it.” Dane murmured, hugging me as he pried the knife from my hand.
“You’re here.” I whispered, my hands grasping him as I realized he was holding me. “The circle?”
“Broke when you killed him.” He answered, his hand tangled in my hair as he cradled me against his chest. The faint vibration of his humming soothed the last of my fear away. I peeked around him to see the flames were gone as was the sudden storm. Sinclair stood nearby with Luke, and Kincaid kneeled on the ground with Milo, who gave me a pained smile as he held his ribs. The others stood around us, positioned away from the burned ground.
By tacit agreement, Dane and I stepped out of the circle.
A weight lifted from me, one I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. The circle had held both of us captive and I could only figure it was because we shared blood and this was the place my powers had originally been bound.
“He’s dead.” Sinclair gave a relieved sigh, strain visibly disappearing from her eyes.
/>
“Finally.” Kincaid muttered, frowning at his body as she kneeled protectively over Milo.
“I can try to fix that.” Dane offered, gesturing to Milo. He nodded appreciatively and we walked over to him. Dane kept his arm looped around me, unwilling to release me. It might have felt smothering any other time but right now I was content to be glued to him. Dane placed his hand over Milo’s ribs and after a minute Milo took a deep breath and nodded.
“Much better, man. Thank you.” Milo said, holding out his hand. Dane hesitated for only a second before clasping his hand and shaking it.
“So it’s over?” Tori asked, glancing at each of us. I met Milo’s eyes and we shook our heads no. Neither of us had forgotten the coven. We couldn’t allow them to continue practicing magic. They were obsessed with power and would never quit pursuing the dark arts.
“We have to go back and take down Mitchell’s coven.” Milo finally answered. “They won’t stop and it’s too dangerous to allow them to exist. They know too many secrets.”
“You don’t mean to go now?” Luke asked incredulously. He waved at me, indicating my bloody clothes and exhaustion. “She’s wiped. This entire thing was far more dangerous than we anticipated and you want to go after a dozen more just like him?”
“Again, now is our best chance for surprise. They’re still collected in one area. We strike and take them all out in one fell swoop.” Milo argued and Dane locked his arm around me. I glanced up at him and he frowned at the expression on my face. As much as I wanted to lie down and sleep after eating everything in sight, I couldn’t. Milo was right.
“He’s right.” Dane’s agreement had Luke brightening since he thought he was agreeing with him. Dane shook his head at Luke’s hopeful expression. “Milo is right. Trust me, I hate agreeing with him, but right now we still have a chance to catch them off guard. Mitchell is dead. There has to be an advantage to that. One we can exploit.”
“Sinclair,” Patrick began, “Can you do what you did a moment ago? Make us appear as if we aren’t here?”
She gave him a puzzled look but nodded. “I can, but to what point? There’s no one to hide you from.”
The Trinity Sisters Page 51