by Valia Lind
"What now?" I barely whisper, keenly aware that the king might have some shifters on his payroll.
"We have to get upstairs if we're going to look for the relic, right?"
"Right."
Except I have no idea how to do that. It's not like I can grab an invisibility cloak and walk right past these guards. That's when Eric taps me on the shoulder.
"There's a ladder to the right. If we make it there, we can climb it."
I nod, trading places with him so he can lead. We pull the door open enough for us to squeeze through. After a quick study, we see no one near us, so Eric moves toward the ladder with me close behind. My heart is beating so loudly in my chest, I'm afraid all the shifters in a hundred miles radius can hear me. But we make it to the ladder and climb it with no major issues. Tom's office is closer to this side than the other, so that makes it easier to get to.
Once inside, I shut the door, but I don't turn the lights on. The place feels deserted. I wonder what's the point of them being here, of fixing the building, if all they're going to do is patrol. Seems like a waste of magic to me.
Eric points to where Tom kept his safe, and I hurry over. But even before I reach it, I know it's not there. The door hangs slightly open, and my heart drops. I have no idea what I felt, but this is a waste of time. I put us into danger for nothing.
Just then, a loud knock sounds at the door, and the lights come on all around us.
"Oh, Cord. Come out to play," Kelsey singsongs from the other side of the door.
"How does it feel to be right?" I mumble to Eric. He just shakes his head.
"I didn't exactly want to."
I knew what we might be walking into, but I was still hoping for a better outcome. At least for the relic, if nothing else.
"Cordy, Cordy, Cordy," Kelsey continues. I can feel that she's not alone. "It's time."
"Is there a scenario where we come out of this alive?" I ask, turning to Eric.
"Only if we're lucky," he replies.
"Great, just great." I say. Luck hasn't been on our side so far. This is a perfect example. But it doesn't really matter. I'm here to fight and that's what I'll do. Turning toward the door, the flames of my magic dance up my arm. There's no backing down now.
Chapter 20
When we come out, we come out swinging. Eric may not be able to shift, but he's a skilled fighter. I blast the door right off its hinges, sending a few soldiers over the railing. Kelsey, of course, is not stupid enough to be waiting right there. She's down a ways when I come out, a grin on her lips.
"Always making things more difficult," she says as her minions attack. I swing my fist, connecting it with the man's body before I raise my other arm and blast him with magic. It's an intricate dance of physical strength and magical knowledge. I use both to my advantage. Pushing and kicking, I make my way closer and closer to Kelsey. She has no problem enjoying someone else fighting her battles for her. But I'm not about to let her get away.
Two soldiers reach for me at the same time. I drop down to my knee, making them miss me. Spinning around, I swipe one of their legs out from under them. As he falls, he does so into his partner. Their bodies connect. Before they can do much of anything, I throw a sphere of fire at them, sending them tumbling over the railing. Then, I'm running.
Kelsey must've realized her predicament because she doesn't hesitate to hurry down the stairs. I throw a few more fireballs at the soldiers, no hesitation on my part either. Before all this, using my magic like this would've made me pause. But now, I'm taking no prisoners. She's almost to the ground floor when I throw a ball of fire right in her path. She yelps, turning around. I'm already there.
"Leaving so soon?" I ask, giving her a small smile.
"Wow, someone is coming into her own," Kelsey replies, but I can tell she's missing some of the bravado she was wearing earlier. That's something I don't think I realized before. She's only as strong as those around her. I carry my strength within me.
"Why are you here?" I ask, moving toward her. I can still hear the sound of fighting above me, but I trust Eric to handle himself. At least, for a little while longer.
"You know why."
"No, I don't. If this was a trap, it was a poor one." Kelsey's eyes flash, and I take a stab in the dark. "You didn't get the artifact. You were hoping someone returned for it."
"Ugh, fine. You're so smart. So where is it?" I'm surprised she doesn't deny it, but then again, why would she?
"I don't know. That's why I'm here."
"Wait, you know what it is?" Kelsey is way too eager when she asks that, and she must realize it. I grin. She rolls her eyes, very much the same girl she was before all this.
"You don't." It's not a question, and I love the fact that I have one on her.
"It doesn't matter. We'll get it anyway."
"Sure. Someone might," I say because it's time to stop playing around. There's a moment of stillness as Kelsey realizes exactly what I mean. She has a split second before I attack.
Kelsey has never been a skilled fighter. She was going to be a healer. But she must've learned a thing or two as she throws up a shield when I move. The fire sits in the palm of my hand as I watch her watch me. I grin before I lunge my body at her. She's not prepared for the physical attack. We tumble, rolling over each other. When we stop, I'm on top of her, and I pull back to deliver a punch directly to her face. She kicks me off, driven by pure instinct, and manages to kick me in the stomach. Air leaves my body, but I'm not about to let her get away. I grab her leg, yanking it toward me. She slams into the ground face first. There's a yelp of pain and then I'm on top of her once more, pinning her down.
"Get off me!" she screams, her spit flying. My hands burn where I hold her and then it's my turn to yelp. She's burning me somehow. I yank my hands back from the heat. It gives her enough time to scramble up and run. I jump to my feet, throwing a ball of fire in her path. She screams as she stumbles back.
"Freak!" she calls out, but I'm not done. I throw another blast of fire at her, but this time, she's more prepared. It's as if the magic comes and goes, and she can't have a continuous stream. It must be coming from the king.
"Stop toying with me!" she yells, turning to face me. There's fire all around her now, and she has nowhere to go. "Do you want to kill me? Then do it already. Then you can go back to that prison of yours. I'm sure it misses you and your ugly face."
She's burned and bruised and angry. Her words mean nothing to me. I raise my hand, the fire sitting comfortably at the center of my palm. Kelsey isn't my friend anymore. She's not the same girl I've grown up with. There's so much hatred in her eyes, it makes it hard to breathe.
"It’d be better if you stayed dead this time," I say, and the shock on her face is worth it. But right before I can throw the fire at her, the air around her shimmers. She's pulled through a portal. I rush forward, but I'm too late. She's gone.
Eric reaches me just as Kelsey disappears. There are still soldiers there, and I twist around to send the fire I've been holding straight over Eric's head and at his pursuers. My magic is worked up and angry, and it destroys the five remaining soldiers in a split second. I drop to my knees, exhausted and overwhelmed.
"Cordy, we need to get going. They can send more, or there may be more. Come on."
I feel Eric pull me to my feet and guide me out of the building, much the same way we came in. It's only a few minutes later that I realize we're outside. What I've done, what I was about to do, it took a lot out of me mentally. And physically. I feel almost empty.
"Hey, are you okay?" Eric asks as we stop. I lean against the wall.
"I was going to kill her, Eric. And I wasn't going to bat an eye. She's been my sister nearly my whole life, and I was going to kill her." My breathing becomes shallow and then it's like I can't force any air into my lungs. I bend over at the waist, trying to clear my head, but I can't.
"You're okay." Eric's voice reaches me, and I realize he's repeating the phrase over and over. I gla
nce up to find his face leveled with mine, his hands on my shoulders. "Breathe, Cord. You're okay."
Our eyes connect. I follow his instructions, and just as suddenly as the attack came, it's gone. My lungs fill with air, and I'm me again. Everything that just happened rushes through my mind as I try to figure it out. The reasoning, the actions, all of it. Something is there, but I can't figure it out.
"We need to move, Cordy. Come on."
I don't remember the ride in the metro or walking through the streets. It's like I'm in shock. Not at what happened but at what I am capable of. When I finally notice my surroundings, we're walking into a familiar building. Eric unlocks the apartment door and ushers me inside. I don't hesitate to walk straight to the main room and collapse on the bed. My body feels like it's ready to give out on me. I don't understand my responses, but I'm allowing my body to process it however it wants to.
I'm not exactly sure how much time passes, but I come to terms with the person I've become. I've decided to do whatever it takes. If that includes taking my ex friend's life, I have to. To keep this world safe, to keep those I love safe, I have to make the tough choices. There's no going around that.
Eric checks up on me a few times, and I smile up at him each time. An hour passes before I feel steady enough to think. And then, my mind takes off with every possibility and every piece of information I've gathered.
Suddenly, it hits me. What I've been missing. I sit up quickly, and Eric is there immediately.
"You okay?"
"I think I figured it out."
"What?"
"There's something the woman said—”
"What woman?"
I ignore Eric's question and let myself process what just came into my mind.
"She said I know where it's at. She said I have experienced it before. Calista said as much too."
"Who?"
"And I didn't understand, but it's a clue." I raise my right arm and wave it in front of Eric. He's looking at me as if I've lost my mind. And maybe I have.
"Cordy, I don't understand what you're talking about. I think you might be in shock."
"I was, but I'm better now. Because I get it. All the clues in front of me. I thought it was just my magic being weird, but it's more than that. I've always had a connection to the relics. And this, this just shows me that I must've been more in tune with them before I knew it."
"Cordy." Eric sounds very concerned, crouching in front of me. "I don't know what you mean. Or what you're pointing at." He takes my right arm in his, looking down at my bare skin. Except for me, it's not bare. The key tattoo sits comfortably on my forearm, a reminder of the place I tried so hard to escape. But also, a place that holds answers.
"Eric." I retract my hand before I place it on his cheek. "You're not going to like what I'm about to say."
"What is it?"
"We have to sneak back into Blackwood."
“Cordelia—"
"We have to sneak back into the prison."
<<<<>>>>
Next in the Blackwood Supernatural Prison series
Coming December 2020!!
Preorder today: Witch Awakened
Some secrets should stay buried.
My magic is growing stronger and so is my connection to the artifacts. Their whispers swirl in my head, pulling me in a hundred directions.
The task force needs to know what I’ve learned. But I have no idea who to trust.
If I choose wrong, people will die.
Eric is still by my side, but I find myself unsure about his loyalty. Are my growing feelings for him clouding my judgement?
With our next mission looming ahead, there’s a lot more than just my heart on the line. If we don’t succeed, all those we care about will perish.
But I’m not all out of tricks yet. I’m ready to fight to see this through…on my own terms.
Witch Awakened is the third book in a thrilling upper YA paranormal romance series by USA Today bestselling author Valia Lind that is full of twists and turns, and one heart stopping adventure!
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Thunderbird Academy Trilogy
My power could save my friends—or destroy them.
As I start a new semester at Thunderbird Academy, I have a lot to live up to. News of my sisters' courageous fight against the Ancient evil has spread, and now, everyone expects the same greatness from me.
But all I want to do is:
1) Find my dad.
2) Figure out why my magic has suddenly gone on the fritz.
It would be a lot easier if I didn't have to keep dealing with the ever-annoying Aiden Lawson. Shifter, nemesis, ridiculously gorgeous. I don't care how he makes my pulse race, I will not be deterred from my mission.
But the war with the Ancients is just beginning, and now, Thunderbird Academy has become a sanctuary as well as a school. Each attack is deadlier than the last, and when the academy ends up under siege, my friends and I have no choice but to fight.
Am I brave enough to trust my magic to save us? Or will my world come crashing down around me by my own hands?
I'm in a fight for my life, and I, Maddie Hawthorne, have no idea what I'm doing.
Welcome to my year at Thunderbird Academy.
Full of magic, adventure, and romance, Thunderbird Academy is an completed addicting young adult paranormal romance series by USA Today bestselling author Valia Lind that will keep you reading late into the night!
Want more from the Hawthorne Witches?
See Harper and Brianna, Maddie’s sisters, take on the Ancients in the complete season one of Hawthorne Chronicles!
Charmed meets The Originals in this exciting paranormal romance series by USA Today bestselling author Valia Lind!
Welcome to Hawthorne. A town. A home. A sanctuary.
It’s a land of magic, where traditions run deep. Governed by an ancient coven, it’s a place where supernaturals and humans can live in peace.
Until now.
An Ancient evil is rising on the outskirts of their town and it’s up to the Hawthorne coven to find a way to defeat it or their way of life is over.
Four strong witches. Four incredible romances. Four life or death battles.
Can one town stand against an Ancient evil?
Season One includes:
Guardian Witch
Witch's Fire
Witch's Heart
Tempest Witch
Get hooked on witches, shifters, and magic in this first season of a thrilling adventure!
About the Author
USA Today bestselling author. Photographer. Artist. Born and raised in St. Petersburg, Russia, Valia Lind has always had a love for the written word. She wrote her first published book on the bathroom floor of her dormitory, while procrastinating to study for her college classes. Upon graduation, she has moved her writing to more respectable places, and has found her voice in Young Adult fiction. Her YA thriller, Pieces of Revenge is the recipient of the 2015 Moonbeam Children's Book Award.
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Also by Valia Lind
Blackwood Supernatural Prison Series
Witch Condemned (#1)
Witch Unchained (#2)
Witch Awakened (#3) - Coming December 2020!
Hawthorne Chronicles - Each season can be read as standalone!
Season Three
Marked by
Fae (Prequel) - part of a Fae Anthology!
Shadow of the Fae (#1) - Coming October 2020!
Season Two
Of Water and Moonlight (Thunderbird Academy, #1)
Of Destiny and Illusions (Thunderbird Academy, #2)
Of Storms and Triumphs (Thunderbird Academy, #3)
Season One
Guardian Witch (Hawthorne Chronicles, #1)
Witch’s Fire (Hawthorne Chronicles, #2)
Witch’s Heart (Hawthorne Chronicles, #3)
Tempest Witch (Hawthorne Chronicles, #4)
The Complete Season One Box Set
The Skazka Chronicles
Remembering Majyk (The Skazka Chronicles, #1)
Majyk Reborn (The Skazka Chronicles, #2)
The Faithful Soldier (The Skazka Chronicles, #2.5)
Majyk Reclaimed (The Skazka Chronicles, #3)
Havenwood Falls (PNR standalone)
Predestined
The Titanium Trilogy
Pieces of Revenge (Titanium, #1)
Scarred by Vengeance (Titanium, #2)
Ruined in Retribution (Titanium, #3)
Complete Box Set
Falling Duology