Chapter Thirty-Six
Bettina
I charged forward. All I could think about were those screams in the video. I saw her face and that shadow. Joseph. Thunder rolled and cracked over my head. The clouds flashed, and then thick white snow fell in sheets.
The compound that was once the size of a shopping mall was now a pile of ash and rubble. Smoke billowed into the sky. Bright orange flames raged from within fallen walls and collapsed ceilings. I heard Tegan shouting my name, but I couldn’t make myself stop.
We were too late.
There were people screaming everywhere. Hundreds of them. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw bodies on the ground that weren’t moving, and my heart caught in my throat. How did this happen?
The ground in front of me split open, and flames ruptured out of the cracks like a volcanic explosion. I gasped and threw my magic at it as hard as I could. The flames turned to ice and froze in place. I leapt over the frozen valleys and charged toward a pile of cement boulders that were probably once a part of the building.
I didn’t know where I was headed or what I was going to do, I just knew I needed to help. These poor people had trusted us to keep them safe, and we’d failed them. Flames shot up all around me, and I turned them to ice as I ran without missing a beat or looking back.
Up ahead, there was one portion of the compound still standing. It stood alone in the darkness surrounded only by fire and smoke. There were people inside. I felt their energy tickling against mine. Please let me get to them.
The glass windows shattered, and I heard their screams piercing through the chaos. Thick, black smoke poured out of the second-floor room. Then there were faces. A dozen of them, poking up over the windowsill. Their eyes were wide with terror. The ground rumbled, and then the wall began to crack.
Oh no. Goddess, no. It’s coming down!
I threw my magic at the ground in front of me and turned my path to ice. When my feet hit it, I dove down and slid across it on my knees. The world rushed by me in a blur. There was movement on the horizon, coming toward me, but I couldn’t make anything of it out. It was just dark blobs against orange flames.
My back hit the wall of the building, and pain shot up my spine. But I didn’t think about that. I threw my hands up and turned the cement to ice just as the second floor exploded. NO! Bodies went flying over my head into the open air. I swung one arm up in an arc, and a sheet of ice spread from the wall and under the people like a tree branch reaching for them. They hit my ice, but their momentum picked up speed and carried them away from me.
I tried to catch them by shooting ice under them, like I was Spiderman shooting webs, but it was all happening too fast. I was going to hit them. There was a flash of light that bounced from one person to the next. I leapt away from the wall, and the ice behind me cracked. Massive chunks of ice fell all around me. I jumped and pushed with my magic, deflecting the ice I’d created before it took me down. Safety was three steps away when the ground gave out under me. The ice rolled like a wave, and suddenly I was airborne.
Warm arms plucked me out of the air and pulled me back down. Heat pressed against my spine, and I smelled fresh Christmassy pine trees. Jackson. His hands burned through my clothes and into my skin. We crashed into the ice and slid until we hit dirt.
The second we stopped moving, I scrambled to get up. It didn’t matter that it was Jackson holding me, or that he’d somehow managed to be right where I needed him to save me from accidentally killing myself. All that mattered were the innocent civilians we’d endangered.
“Just breathe,” he whispered in my ear with his beautiful accent. “You saved them, love. Just stop. Tennessee caught them.”
I heard him. And in the back of my mind, I knew he was trying to protect me, but my brain had switched into autopilot. Even though I knew he’d probably just let me go, I broke free of his hold and leapt to my feet. I looked up and spotted a body lying on the ground, half buried under a large chunk of ice. I sprinted as hard as I could. When I got to the person, I dropped to my knees and reached for the ice. It melted in an instant.
And then I saw her.
I recognized the round face and blunt-cut brown bangs. I recognized the floral printed sweater and pink lipstick, even if it was now smudged. But her eyes were open and staring blankly at the sky.
Natasa.
I heard myself scream out her name as I dove for her throat. I checked over and over, on her wrists and her neck, but there was no pulse. She was gone.
“Bettina,” Jackson whispered, and then his arms were around me again. The warmth of his body enveloped me until he was all I could breathe. He lifted me up and dragged me off of Natasa’s body. “Okay, let them look, Moonshine.”
Moonshine. Somehow, him saying my nickname broke through the panicked fog in my brain. I blinked and forced my gaze off of Natasa. That was when I really took in the sight around me. My jaw dropped.
Lonan, the massive black dragon, sat perched on a mound of rubble breathing fire and smoke into the night sky. His spiked tail whipped back and forth. His intense crimson eyes watched darkness. If something came for us, he’d know it first.
Crouched down below him, huddled in a ball, was Chutney. Her curly brown hair was thick with ash. She had her arms wrapped around her legs as she sobbed. Someone dropped down beside her and I jumped—but it was only Willow. Our Magician pulled her cousin into her arms and held her.
“It’s not your fault, Chutney,” Willow said softly while rubbing circles in her back. “This is not your fault.”
Paulina scrambled over to Natasa and dropped to her knees. Her face fell immediately, and I knew Natasa was gone. My heart hurt. It was overwhelming to feel so much pain over complete strangers, but I couldn’t help but think that this was our fault. I just didn’t understand what had gone wrong.
“Tina!” Trey shouted, emerging from within the smoke. “Tina? Jackson! You guys okay?”
No, no, I am NOT okay.
“Yeah, we’re fine.” Jackson’s deep voice rumbled in my ear.
“Bettina!” Warner dropped to his knees beside us and squeezed my shoulder. “Girl, that was incredible. Are you hurt? Jackson, you?”
How was I incredible? We were too late. There was nothing incredible about this. I heard Jackson assure him that we weren’t injured, but the words hurt my heart. All of the fight left me in a rush, and I sank into Jackson’s arms. His grip on me tightened, and it was the only thing keeping me together.
Constance and Braison knelt down beside Paulina. The three of them whispered things I knew I didn’t want to hear. Natasa was gone. We were too late. I looked away at the rest of the destruction, and tears pooled in my eyes. There were other bodies lying on the ground. Lifeless. It was smoke and ash and flames all around, but inside I only felt the bitter chill of sadness. I might have had ice powers, but this kind of cold bothered me.
Devon had projected herself about a hundred times, and each of her astral clones walked around to check on survivors. And there were hundreds of them, which was a relief. But it wasn’t enough. They were all supposed to be safe. Red mist slithered through the carnage and coiled around the civilians. As it hit them, they got up and hobbled over to where Hunter was. He wrapped his golden magic around each of them, and their pain subsided. It wouldn’t last, but I was so happy we had his kind of magic on hand for them.
There was a flash of light, and then Tegan appeared in front of us. She glanced around with sharp, furious eyes. “I reset the barrier with Saffie’s wand to include all of Eden. Let’s get these people back to safety— Where’s Tenn?”
Lily sighed and pointed across the chaos to where three big forms stood out within the flames and smoke. “That glowing thing over there is him. He’s with Cooper and Easton, and they’re rounding up all the survivors.”
Just then, Tenn looked up and spotted her. I blinked and then he was standing beside her.
“We ready to move people back?” he asked her. When she nodded, he sighe
d and shook his head. “I want everyone in the Great Hall. I don’t trust anything right now. I want them where we can see them.”
“I’M SORRY!” Chutney cried, tears pouring down her face. Her eyes were red and puffy. “We were watching! They came out of nowhere! We tried— We couldn’t—”
“Hey, hey, no,” Tenn whispered and crouched down in front of her. He squeezed her shoulder. “No one is blaming you. I know you guys did your best. None of us expected this. We just need to focus on keeping everyone safe now.”
I gasped. “LENNOX!” I sat up and scanned the area for her. “Where is she? She was here with Chutney—”
Then I spotted her.
Her indigo hair glistened in Henley’s intensified moonlight. She stood fifty feet away, facing us but just staring at the ground. Her clothes were torn and burned. Red blood and ash smeared across her bare skin. Her yellow-green eyes were distant…and broken.
“Lennox —”
“Oh, Lennox.” Warner sprinted over to her. When he got there, he pulled her into his chest and wrapped his arms around her. He whispered something to her, but I couldn’t hear.
Trey cursed. “What can I do to help?”
“Go over there and help Harlan and Gen collect survivors.” Tenn pointed behind me. “Just group them together wherever they are. Tegan and I will come to you.”
“Got it.” Trey spun and charged out of sight.
Tenn frowned then turned back to our dragon friend. “Hey, Lonan, thanks for helping. Any chance I can ask you to come back to Eden with us?”
Lonan nodded his big black dragon head and stood up.
Tegan snapped her fingers, and then they were gone, taking Lonan, Chutney, and Willow with them. A few seconds later, Tegan and Tenn reappeared. Tenn ran off toward his father. Tegan grabbed Constance, Paulina, and Braison and sucked them into her portal.
When Tegan reappeared again, she was next to Deacon off to my right. She opened up a white portal box and let at least fifty people go through—including Deacon. I knew I needed to get up to help, but I just couldn’t. My body felt heavy.
“I can’t move,” I grumbled.
Jackson sighed and his breath rushed through my hair. “You’ve been using your magic a lot without rest. Try to remember you’re new at this. Just sit right here until they say you’re needed.”
“I need to help,” I whispered back.
His arms tightened around my waist. “You did help. You saved those people. You were incredible with your magic, Bettina. Now give it a few minutes to recoup before you put yourself on the injured reserve. We need you strong.”
I opened my mouth then shut it. He was probably right. Besides, the rest of my Coven-mates seemed to have things under control. Damage control was clearly something they’d handled before. I looked over just as Warner and Lennox walked through Tegan’s next portal, with about three dozen more survivors. Then I spotted Emersyn standing within the flames, pulling them into herself. She was trying to put all the fire out, but it was too much. She was going to drain herself.
I put my hand on the ground and pushed my magic into it. TEGAN. GET EMERSYN.
Tegan reappeared in front of me with wide eyes. “What’s wrong— Oh. Damn it, Em.”
Then she was gone. She popped up next to her twin and had to visibly drag our Empress away. There was a flash of light, and they were out of sight. I smiled and then Tegan was back. She was over by Tennessee and Hunter, and she looked to me and winked.
“Bloody hell, she’s made quick work of this evacuation,” Jackson mumbled. “That’s all that’s left right there.”
I frowned and glanced around. He was right; all of the other survivors had been collected already except for the large group over by Tenn. It was impressive. Tegan’s portal was a real lifesaver. It was a gift we were blessed to have on our side, and one I wished I could do, too. Then maybe this could’ve been avoided.
Jackson gasped.
I jumped and followed his gaze—and my jaw dropped. Kessler picked up one of the cement walls that had fallen down and lifted it over his head like it weighed no more than a pound…and there were at least a dozen people lying on top of it.
“Are they…”
“No, they’re alive. But injured.” Jackson sighed. “Let’s just hope it stays that way.”
Tegan gave a small smirk at her uncle then opened up a portal in front of him. Kessler strolled through it like he was carrying dinner plates.
I closed my eyes and tried to focus on Jackson’s pulse beating against my back and the warmth of his body. I wanted to block out the horrible images in my head of the victims and people we’d lost. But I knew I’d be seeing Natasa’s lifeless face in my mind for the rest of my life. That video, the one she’d posted to Instagram, captured those final moments of her life, and they were filled with fear.
“Bettina?”
I jumped and opened my eyes—and found Tegan staring at me with wide eyes.
She sighed and pushed her hair back. “Could you, like, not look dead right now, please and thank you.”
“Sorry,” I said and sat up. Though I was feeling stronger just from lying low for these past few minutes.
“You exerted yourself too much too soon.” Tenn frowned as he walked up behind his soulmate. “Try not to give yourself Witch’s Shock like Tegan did at the beginning.”
I shuddered. “Well, Lancelot has been literally holding me down, so I think I’ll be okay.”
Tenn smirked. “Nice work, Jackson.”
“What now? Need my help?” I licked my lips and looked around only to find we were alone in the destruction. It was just the four of us…and Natasa. I groaned. “What do we do with the…deceased?”
Tegan cringed and gripped her stomach like she was going to be sick. She shook her head. “I brought most of them back already. They’re on the pyre, ready to be sent home to the Goddess. We just need Natasa.”
I climbed to my feet then brushed my hands off on my jeans. I walked over and crouched down beside Natasa, then I reached down and closed her eyes. Now that the panic and chaos was gone, I was able to really see her.
“What happened to her?” My stomach rolled. I shook my head and looked over her body. “I don’t see burns or anything. I don’t understand… How did she die? She just looks gray.”
“Like David,” Jackson said softly.
I glanced up at him, but he was looking at Tenn.
Tenn scowled. “I noticed that, too. She looks exactly like that. Just like the others in the infirmary with Witch’s Flu.”
Jackson scratched the back of his neck. “Did the other…victims here tonight look the same?”
Tenn nodded.
“The humans didn’t, though.” Jackson leaned down and looked at Natasa closer. “I saw them. They all died from the fire…but this… I don’t understand what Joseph is doing to them.”
“Maybe we should check ‘em for fang marks.”
They jumped and looked to me with wide eyes.
I shrugged. “They look like they’ve been sucked dry. I mean, you said vampires are real, right? Maybe Joseph is some kind of vampire?”
“No…no, I’ve seen him up close. He’s no vampire—”
“Or is he?” Tegan narrowed her eyes on Natasa’s body, then crouched down beside me. She placed her hand on Natasa’s chest. “Not in the same convention as Everest and Queen Sweyn…but babe, feel this. There’s no magic left in her. There’s nothing in her—like she’s been sucked dry.”
Tenn cocked his head to the side. “You think he’s some kind of vampire mutation?”
“But he didn’t drain the humans…” Jackson pursed his lips. “Why would he leave them?”
“Because they don’t have magic,” Tegan said in a rush. Her eyes sparkled the way they always did when she got an idea. “Because that attack was personal. Against us for trying to outsmart him. But tonight, this was an actual attack. Think about it. We didn’t see Joseph turn corporeal until after we found people like Dav
id.”
Jackson’s face fell. “Like Erin.”
“And Witch’s Flu.” Tenn nodded then cursed. “What are you thinking here, Tegan?”
“Joseph and his army are taking witch’s magic, sucking it out of them much like a vampire does with blood. This must be what gives them the ability to be corporeal. That’s why there were so many people with supposed Witch’s Flu—”
“And why he was kidnapping people.” I jumped up like there was something I could do, then froze. Because there wasn’t.
“He’s stealing their magic and life force to survive.” Tegan pinched the bridge of her nose and frowned. “Whatever Ruth did, whatever her spell was, it must’ve done this to them.”
Jackson nodded and put his hands on his hips. “Okay…but now what do we do?”
Tegan shook her head—then her eyes widened. She reached for her crystal necklace, and the Book of Shadows landed in her palms. Without speaking, she flipped through the pages, her eyes scanning every word. Then she smiled and pointed to the page. “I think this will work.”
Tenn arched one eyebrow. “What is it?”
“Now that I know what they are, what they need to survive…this spell here might heal them. Or enough.” She looked up at us. “Think bottled blood for vampires.”
“Oh,” we said in unison.
“I just need to tweak the spell a bit, but Lennox and Henley should be able to help me with that.” Then she turned to me and narrowed her eyes. “And you, too.”
My pulse skipped. I didn’t like that look in her eyes. It was unnerving. It was like she knew something I didn’t…and since this was Tegan, that was probably accurate.
Tenn rubbed his hands together and nodded. “Okay. You four get the spell ready. The rest of us will honor the dead. When you’re ready, we’ll try it. Tonight.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Jackson
I had hours to prepare for this moment.
The Coven - Academy Magic Complete Series Page 96