“Well, I guess that answers one of my questions,” she replied, the last remnants of her anger dissolving as she raised her head to look at him. “The rest of the coven is going to feel the same way about me, aren’t they? They’re going to hold me accountable for you and the talisman, and they’re going to want to strike out at me. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t blame them for that. I made the wrong choice, and now I have to pay for that decision. Unfortunately, you’re paying, too. I’d give anything to bring your sight back.”
“I know that, Sarah,” he said, sighing again. “But as the old saying goes, ‘what’s done is done.’ You also don’t need to fear the coven. No matter what they think or how they feel, they aren’t going to harm you in any way. Now it’s time for you to make a decision. Are you coming with me to Sanctuary to fight against the talisman? Or, are you going to surrender to it and let it turn you into a monster?”
Though he made it sound as if she really had a choice, Sarah knew she didn’t. She had to go to Sanctuary. She was the guardian, and working with Sebastian and his coven was the only way she could protect her people.
She gave a defeated shake of her head. “Get in the car, Sebastian. We’re going to Sanctuary.”
“If it’s any consolation, you’re making the right decision,” he said.
“Yeah, I know,” she mumbled as she watched him carefully— blindly—ease his way back inside.
She waited until he closed the door before she walked back to the car. As she pulled her door open, she had a flash of a horrifying vision. She stood in the center of a strange town, whose buildings were constructed in the Gothic architectural style with slender towers, pointed arches, and flying buttresses. Littering the street were the bodies of strangers, and they’d all had their eyes gouged out.
The vision ended so abruptly that Sarah tried to tell herself she’d imagined it. But she knew it was real, and her knees shook so badly she was barely able to climb into the car.
When she was seated, she gripped the steering wheel and drew in a deep breath, telling herself that just because she’d had the vision didn’t mean it would come true. After all, the future was not engraved in stone, and the people in Sanctuary were going to stop the talisman. When they did, she’d kill herself, so whoever those poor people were in the vision, they’d be safe.
Despite her effort at reassurance, she shuddered again, because she knew in her heart that her visions of the future always came true.
AS SARAH STARTED the car and they began to move again, Sebastian slowly released the breath he’d been holding. Until she’d turned the ignition and put the car in gear, he’d feared that she’d change her mind and run. And it would have been his fault.
Why had he ignored her rising anxiety? He’d known she was upset. The growing tension in the car had been palpable.
You ignored her because you were too busy feeling sorry for yourself, his conscience charged.
With an inward curse, he leaned his head against the seat rest, deciding his conscience was wrong. He hadn’t been absorbed in self-pity. As he’d told Sarah, he’d been wallowing in anger. Ever since Sarah had blinded him, the emotion had been prowling inside him like a wild beast. He’d felt as if he’d go mad if he didn’t release his fur.
But he’d known he couldn’t give his temper free rein. The velocity of the wind that accompanied a warlock’s temper was in direct proportion to his fury. He was so enraged over his blindness that he’d probably cause a tornado. The only way he could safely release that much anger was if he could focus his eyes on the person with whom he was angry. Once he made that physical connection, he’d be able to contain the wind, and it wouldn’t cause any damage.
But he couldn’t see Sarah, so he couldn’t focus his eyes on her. Of course, if he could see her, he wouldn’t be angry.
Frustrated by that simple paradox, he readjusted the sunglasses Sarah had bought him. Then he breathed deeply and forced himself to concentrate on the hum of the car’s tires against the pavement. Sound was the only thing that oriented him in the unremitting darkness surrounding him. The ponderous gloom that made time seem to stand still. The utter blackness where every sound, every movement, was unexpected and seemed threatening.
His stomach knotted, and fear commingled with his anger. How would he survive without his sight?
Thankfully, Sarah saved him from having to answer that question by nervously saying, “I think we have a problem, Sebastian. There’s a huge, golden barrier ahead of us. It’s like the one I saw in my vision of you when you first put on the triangle, and I can’t see through it. What should I do?”
“That’s the protective energy barrier surrounding Sanctuary. It won’t hurt you, so just drive through it,” he said, startled by her words. Although she’d seen the magic circle in a vision, she shouldn’t have been able to see it in reality. It was invisible to mortals. However, the Indian spirit said Sarah wasn’t a mortal. So what was she?
“Sebastian, I have to stop the car,” Sarah said, again interrupting his thoughts.
“Why?” he asked, swiveling his head toward her.
“I feel . . . funny.”
“Funny how?”
“I . . . don’t . . . know,” she stammered. “Just . . . funny.”
“Have we passed through the barrier?” he asked, wondering if the talisman was up to something.
“No,” she answered. “It’s . . . still . . . a ways . . . off, but . . . Oh, God!” she suddenly cried, and Sebastian felt the car lurch. Then it slammed to a stop and the engine died.
“Sarah? What’s wrong?” he demanded, panic flowing through him when he heard her begin to wheeze.
“Your magic is killing her, wicáhmunga.”
Sebastian started at the Indian spirit’s voice, which seemed to come at him from every direction.
“What the hell are you talking about? I’m not using any magic!”
“The golden wall, wicáhmunga.”
Sebastian felt the color drain from his face. Of course! The energy barrier was not only pure magic, it was also some of the most powerful magic in existence. It also cast a spell over any mortal who came within a quarter mile of its proximity.
Only Sarah wasn’t a mortal, and the harmless spell he’d cast over her last night had nearly killed her. The energy barrier would surely do so.
“Sarah, you have to find enough strength to back up the car,” he said, reaching out for her.
When his hand came into contact with her body, panic erupted inside him. She shook so badly that if she wasn’t convulsing, she would be at any moment.
“Dammit, Sarah! Wake up and back up the car!” he yelled, even though he knew she couldn’t hear him. He also knew he had to get her out of the car and away from the barrier.
Frantically, he released his seatbelt, and then he leaned over to search for the button that would release Sarah’s. When his fingers couldn’t find it, he cursed violently. She was dying, and because he was blind he couldn’t help her.
Suddenly his door flew open and he heard Lucien say, “Sebastian? What’s wrong?”
Relief flooded through him. He didn’t know why Lucien was here, but thankfully he was.
“I don’t have time to explain. Get Sarah out of the car and away from the protective circle,” Sebastian ordered, continuing his search for the release on Sarah’s seatbelt. “Hurry! Its magic is killing her.” Thankfully, Lucien didn’t waste time questioning him, and Sebastian no more than found the button and pressed it when he heard Sarah’s door open.
“Take her away from the circle, not through it,” he instructed. “Understand?”
“I understand,” Lucien stated tightly.
Sebastian listened to the sounds of Lucien lifting Sarah out, and he knew when he’d succeeded, because her agonized gasps for breath faded. But instead of hearing Luci
en run away from the car, he heard him exclaim, “What the hell is that?”
Sebastian didn’t need to ask Lucien what he was talking about. He could hear the familiar whirring sound of the lightning wreath. He also knew why it was here. The talisman wouldn’t let Sarah die, and it had sent the wreath to protect her. He knew instinctively that it would cocoon her, just as it had on the mountain.
“Put Sarah down on the ground and get away from her!” he yelled at Lucien, not sure what would happen to Lucien if he got trapped in the wreath with her. He wasn’t wearing a piece of the talisman, so the lightning wreath might kill him.
Lucien didn’t respond to his order, and Sebastian cursed the fact that he couldn’t see what was going on. He listened for something—anything— zthat would tell him what happened, but the only sound he could hear was the wreath’s whirring.
“Lucien? Are you all right?” he called out.
Lucien didn’t answer.
Chapter 13
Evil Attacks
WHEN SEBASTIAN opened his mouth to yell for Lucien again, he stopped himself. If Lucien were able to respond, he would have done so. Sitting here bellowing for him wouldn’t accomplish anything. But he was blind, so what the hell else could he do?
“Dammit! Why isn’t my magic working so I can summon help?” he declared angrily.
“Your magic is working, wicáhmunga. You have just been too angry to let yourself feel its return.”
Sebastian started so badly at the sudden sound of the Indian spirit’s voice that he nearly fell out the open car door.
Grabbing the seat back to steady himself, he asked, “Are Sarah and Lucien okay?”
“Sarah is safe.”
“And Lucien?” he questioned hoarsely.
“He is not yet ready to enter the spirit world.”
Did he mean that Lucien wasn’t on the immediate verge of death? Or that it wasn’t his time to die?
Sebastian decided that he couldn’t waste time finding out. Lucien was alive. Now that the spirit had opened his eyes, so to speak, to the fact that his magic was back, he could feel it thrumming through him.
He tried to connect with both Sarah’s and Lucien’s minds to establish their conditions, but both were closed to him. In Sarah’s case, he was sure it was because she was cocooned. As for Lucien, he could be cocooned or lying on the ground unconscious. The only way Sebastian could make contact with an unconscious person was if he could look at them, or if he was communicating through someone else who looked at them. It was an idiosyncracy of magic he’d never understood, but it was the case nonetheless.
But regardless of Lucien’s predicament, he needed to summon help, and he needed to do it fast.
His first impulse was to send out a general alarm. Thankfully, his common sense surfaced first. A general alarm would bring the entire coven running, and then they’d all be outside the protective field of the energy barrier. That might be exactly what the talisman wanted—to lure the coven members outside that sphere of safety so it could attack them.
Even if that weren’t its goal, Sebastian knew he couldn’t alert the entire coven to Lucien’s situation. He was their high priest, and they depended upon him to lead them. Ordinarily, if something happened to Lucien, they’d turn to Sebastian for direction until a new high priest was installed. But they couldn’t turn to him, because he was not only corrupted by the talisman, he was also blind. Once they learned that, they’d panic.
So he had to be selective about who he contacted. He needed a warlock with excellent magical proficiency, as well as courage, because the warlock might have to battle the wreath. It also needed to be someone whom he could trust to quietly fetch Ryan Alden, the mortal doctor who’d mated with Shana, and bring him here. Sebastian didn’t know if Ryan could do anything for either Lucien or Sarah, since their difficulties involved magic. It was, however, better to have him at hand in case he was needed.
Knowing that every moment might make a difference in Lucien’s survival, Sebastian quickly ran through the list of warlocks in Sanctuary. He finally, albeit reluctantly, settled on Zachary Morcombe.
Drawing in a deep breath, he let his mind connect with Zachary’s. Zachary, it’s Sebastian.
Sebastian? What can I do for you? Zachary responded, and Sebastian could feel the warlock’s startlement at the unexpected connection.
Lucien has been injured. We’re outside the boundary on the road leading to the interstate. Get Ryan Alden and bring him here quickly. Don’t let anyone else in the coven know what’s going on, and before you get here, cast a protective spell over both yourself and Ryan. There’s magic at work here—magic we’ve never encountered before—and you could be in danger.
I’m on my way. We’re both in town, so we should be there in ten or fifteen minutes, Zachary responded instantly.
Sebastian was tempted to maintain his contact so he could follow their progress. He realized, however, that his emotions were running too high, so he wouldn’t be able to shield his monitoring from Zachary. At best, his presence would distract the warlock; at worst, it would make him feel as if Sebastian didn’t trust him, and that would make him resentful. When he arrived, he needed his full attention focused on the wreath, not split between his wounded pride and dealing with unknown magic.
“I hope I made the right choice by selecting him,” Sebastian muttered, breaking off contact and leaning back in the seat. He liked Zachary, and outside of Lucien and himself, Zachary was the most powerful warlock in Sanctuary.
However, Zachary wasn’t endowed with courage as much as an uncommonly daring nature. Ariel Morgret had once used a mortal saying to describe him. She’d said he was the type to rush in where angels feared to tread. Sebastian didn’t believe in angels, but he had to agree with the sentiment of Ariel’s saying. He just prayed that Zachary would maintain a cool head and not treat this situation like an exciting adventure.
Stop doubting your decision, he quickly upbraided himself. Zachary is the best choice, and you know it.
But despite the chastisement, he couldn’t rid himself of the uncertainty, because his blindness affected his confidence. He knew it was irrational, but he felt physically weak and magically ineffective, and that made him feel intellectually incompetent.
As soon as he made that admission, he realized that since Sarah had blinded him, he’d been using Lucien as a crutch. He’d been telling himself that all he had to do was get back to Lucien. Then he would lead the battle against the talisman and everything would be okay.
But it wasn’t okay, because the talisman had just kicked his crutch out from under him.
“So get your act together,” he stated, balling his hands into fists and slamming them against his thighs. “You may be blind, but you’re still the troubleshooter. Stop sitting here feeling sorry for yourself and do something productive.”
Taking that advice to heart, he again tried to connect with Sarah and Lucien. When he still didn’t link with either of them, he contemplated casting a spell to see if it would locate Lucien.
He quickly squelched the idea. Magic was meticulous, and for him to perform at a precise level, he needed to either see or be mentally linked with the person on whom he cast an enchantment. If he sent out a random spell, it might hit Sarah. He doubted it would harm her. If the wreath were powerful enough to protect her from the barrier, the spell he’d use would be about as annoying as a gnat. But the wreath might consider it an assault on her and strike out in defense, causing more harm to Lucien and possibly to himself.
With that option dismissed, he considered getting out of the car and looking for them. He realized, however, that would be as reckless as a random spell. If he didn’t fall and break his neck, he might get caught up in the wreath. It could cocoon him, and then there’d be no one here to advise Zachary and Ryan when they arrived.
He released
a frustrated breath and mumbled, “There has to be something I can do. If I have to just sit here in the dark, where each minute seems like hours, I’ll go insane.”
But no matter how hard he racked his brain, he couldn’t come up with a plan of action that would make him feel useful. All he could do was sit here and worry and wonder. It wouldn’t be so bad if he knew what was going on with Lucien and Sarah, but without a mind link, that was impossible.
Or was it? he suddenly wondered, as an idea struck him.
He straightened in his seat and said, “Spirit, are you here?”
“I am always with Sarah,” the spirit answered instantly.
“How are Sarah and Lucien?”
“They are the same.”
Sebastian knew he should be relieved that Lucien’s condition hadn’t worsened, but he couldn’t relax until he found out if the worst possible scenario had occurred. “Is Lucien inside the wreath with Sarah?”
“Yes.”
Sebastian shuddered as a feeling of doom crept over him. His voice was again hoarse as he asked, “Can Lucien survive in there?”
“His time is short.”
“Do you know how to make the wreath leave them?” he asked next, ignoring the panic writhing in his belly. If anything happened to Lucien . . .
He abruptly cut off the thought as the spirit replied, “It will leave when Sarah goes behind the golden wall and your magic can no longer hurt her.
“Are you saying that if we take her onto coven land, the wreath will leave her and Lucien?”
“Yes.”
“Is it safe for us to touch the wreath?”
“Only you. You must use your tipi.”
“What’s a tipi?” Sebastian asked, confused.
“Hurry. His time is short. I must go. Sarah calls for me.”
“No! You can’t leave until you tell me what a tipi is,” Sebastian said frantically.
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