Celestial Magic

by T. M. Cromer

With a quick peek over her shoulder, Sabrina shifted her tiny body to hide her hands. With a snap of her fingers, she conjured a candy bar and handed it to Annabelle. “All the best kinds,” she promised.

  Wide-eyed, Annabelle turned to Preston. “Can you do that too?”

  “I can. I can also make fire dance along my fingertips. Do you want to see?”

  With a wondrous smile, she nodded, laughing when he showed her his party trick.

  He rose to his feet and placed a hand atop the crown of her head. With a simple word, he infused her with a sense of well-being. “That should see you to the other side, my dear. From there, the goddesses will help you.”

  “Mr. Thorne?”

  “Yes?”

  “Thank you, sir. For what you’re going to do for Brandon and my dad.”

  His smile was a struggle, but he managed. “My pleasure, child.”

  As he walked back to where his family was gathered, his heart was battered and his legs leaden.

  Chapter 34

  Damian removed the enchantment from the prison ring, allowing Set entry. In less than five minutes, the Thornes’ greatest enemies had enough juice to teleport and most likely would’ve, had they not each been shackled with a pair of binding bracelets.

  Hatred and promised retribution shone from Zhu Lin’s eerie chartreuse-colored eyes, but Preston paid him no mind. Set wouldn’t let him hurt Spring; she was his favorite human. Not that Preston wouldn’t protect his daughter at all costs, but for the moment, she was safe.

  Delphine Foucher cautiously approached Preston, Alastair, and GiGi as they conversed. “Cousins…” At Alastair’s lifted brows, her dark-amber eyes turned to a muddy brown as her creamy-mocha complexion paled a shade. “We’re still blood kin, Alastair,” she said.

  “Something you failed to remember when you had my brother shot through the heart by your henchman, Delphine.”

  “Beecham held my daughter. I had no choice.”

  Preston couldn’t feel kindly toward Delphine. She’d done atrocious things on Harold Beecham’s behalf. “You tried to poison Rorie. You drugged Summer and attacked Thorne Manor, holding everyone inside hostage to draw Alastair out.”

  GiGi tossed her glossy blonde hair over her shoulder. “Don’t forget she gave Beecham the ability to wield black magic against Ryker.”

  “Trust me, nothing is forgotten,” Preston assured his sister. He balled his hands, trying to get his temper under control. “And don’t you dare try to say you had no choice, Delphine. At any time, you could’ve come to us. We’d have helped you get Leonie back.”

  “You’ve brought us forward in time, haven’t you?” Delphine asked softly. When he confirmed they had, sadness flooded her face. “That means everyone in your family survived my attack, and I died.”

  “Everyone, but me. And yes. You were a casualty of your war against the family.”

  “I have no memory of those final moments,” she said sadly. “How is Leonie? Did you save her?”

  She faced a wall of cold stares.

  GiGi was the first to relent. “Your family is happy, cousin. Leonie’s planning her wedding, and Armand is well. He talks about you all the time.”

  Tears welled in Delphine’s eyes. “Thank you for caring for them, cousin.”

  “I didn’t do it for you, and I don’t give a damn about your gratitude.” GiGi crossed her arms and lifted her chin. “Don’t dream of double-crossing us in the Netherworld, Delphine. I’ll rip you apart, limb by limb.”

  “Understood.”

  “Good.”

  Delphine seemed as if she wanted to say more, but she shuffled away with her head bent.

  “How the mighty have fallen,” Preston murmured.

  “It’s an act.”

  GiGi and Preston turned to Alastair.

  “I feel her resentment and her desire to break free,” he told them. “Stay on guard. The both of you.”

  “Should we separate them all? Curtail their ability to plot against us?” GiGi asked.

  “I wish you would’ve thought of that earlier, sister.” Preston ran a hand through his hair. “They’ve had plenty of time to come up with a plan while we were all arguing about Annabelle.”

  Alastair’s dark-blond brows rose. “Annabelle?”

  “Our sacrifice.” He told them what he’d learned about the girl’s family. “Al, will you see to Brandon’s cure and her family’s care should I not return?”

  “Of course.”

  “And Selene, be sure she’s safe and happy, too.”

  “You’re coming back to us, little brother. Isis won’t let her favorite consort die.”

  But they all knew she wouldn’t have a choice. She couldn’t control death in the Netherworld. If he died, there would be no resurrecting him.

  “Here.”

  Preston looked down and saw the knife Alastair was offering him. “What’s this?”

  “You each have a ring. Now you’ll each have a magical weapon.”

  “What does it do?”

  “You visualize what you want it to do, and it does it: stab, cut, slice. It wouldn’t hurt my feelings if it found its way to Lin’s black heart.”

  Alastair tugged at his cuffs and straightened his tie. Only he would turn up to a shindig like this one dressed to the nines.

  Preston tilted his chin at his brother’s outfit. “What’s with the business suit, Al?”

  “I believe in dressing for success,” Alastair replied dryly.

  A laugh escaped Preston, and he clapped his brother on the shoulder, pointing toward Damian. “He’s preparing. We should go.”

  The three sibling deities met and placed themselves back to back in the center of the Stonehenge monument. Raising their arms, they repositioned the thirteen-foot pillars and the smaller bluestones until they created one large circle roughly three hundred and fifty feet in diameter.

  Isis ushered everyone into a smaller circle, stationing one counterpart directly across from the other. Inside the ring was Annabelle, who looked frightened but still bravely held up her head. She stared at Sabrina in the far distance, seeming to take courage from the pint-sized Oracle’s smile. The three deities and Isolde moved, placing themselves to represent the North, South, East, and West points.

  Damian took a moment to speak to Alastair and hug Sabrina goodbye. He lifted her up and clutched her to him as if he never wanted to let her go.

  Preston understood the sentiment, and his attention shifted to Spring. His beautiful daughter. The youngest and possibly the brightest of them all. Goddess, how he loved her.

  As if she sensed him, Spring turned slightly to look at him.

  “I love you, Dad,” she mentally projected.

  “I love you, too, baby girl,” he silently returned. “It goes without saying; be on alert and don’t let your guard down.”

  She smiled, and although the day was overcast and the situation was gloom, Preston felt as if she’d somehow blessed their mission. He placed a hand over his heart.

  Damian returned and strode to the center of the circle. “Are you ready, Annabelle?” he asked the girl in a kind voice.

  “Yes, sir.”

  “You’ll feel your body warm to the point of burning as we teleport to the Netherworld. Keep holding my hand no matter what. It’s imperative you don’t let go.”

  “I understand,” she replied in a small voice.

  “Excellent.” He gave her an encouraging smile.

  The hardened visage he turned on their enemies was meant to intimidate. “I’m going to release you from your shackles. Don’t attempt to flee. The deities can track and return you in an instant. Should you defy me, you’ll pay a price.”

  Katherine Salinger cried out as she and the others gripped their heads as if in severe pain.

  Preston shared a solemn look with his sister. They’d never seen this side of Damian, and it was worrisome. He prayed this small torturous act was all to show he meant business and nothing else.

  “That’s a sam
ple to show I’m serious,” Damian continued. “Should you break my rules, the next time will result in brain damage. Nod if you understand.”

  Five heads bobbed in unison.

  “You should know I can read your thoughts.” His eyes sharpened, and he pinned Victor with a lethal stare. “I wouldn’t try it, Salinger,” he snarled. “I’ll drop you where you stand.”

  Victor paled but gave a slight incline of his head to show he wouldn’t enact whatever devious plan had formed in his mind.

  Preston suspected it had to do with Sabrina since Damian only turned feral to protect her.

  With a simple snap of his fingers, the Aether dropped the binding bracelets from their enemies’ wrists. Holding his hands parallel with the earth, palms facing downward, he closed his eyes and murmured a few words. The teleportation disc resting at his feet, originally the size of a dinner plate, expanded to approximately fifty feet in diameter.

  “Step onto the disc and walk forward until you are shoulder to shoulder,” he instructed.

  When they complied, he nodded to the deities and his mother. “Complete the circle.”

  “Are you ready, child?” Damian’s expression softened marginally as he looked down at Annabelle.

  “Yes, sir,” she answered with wide-eyed wonder.

  “Take my hand.” His gaze drifted to his daughter. “I intend to be back soon, beastie, but should the unthinkable happen, Alastair will see to your care. You do everything he says.”

  “Yes, Papa.” She grinned. “But you’ll be back.”

  He lifted a brow, and a sardonic smile curled his mouth. “If you’ve predicted it, my darling girl, I have no doubt.”

  The realness and love in their exchange gave Preston hope that Damian was keeping the Evil locked up tight.

  “Guardians!” he called out.

  Nathanial and Evie shuffled forward, aligning their bodies with the sun. They raised their hands and chanted. The deities and Isolde dropped their heads back, lifting their faces skyward and their arms out to their sides, palms down.

  Preston felt the first blast of magic hit his feet as the teleportation disc turned from silver to black. Trepidation unfurled in his chest as he saw the black shift to translucent. Beneath him, he could see forever. Someone to his left gasped at the sight.

  In the next instant, the bottom dropped out of their world and they were in free fall. Or so it seemed. In truth, it was more like a hop off a tree stump, and they landed with a soft thud on the barren wasteland of the Netherworld.

  Mars. The whole place looked like the pictures Preston had perused on the internet. As far as the eye could see, there was barren orange terrain with small outcrops of rocks. Logically, he knew it wasn’t Mars, or they wouldn’t be able to breathe, and they’d all resemble popsicles right about now. But still, he couldn’t shake the impression of lifelessness. Nothing beautiful resided here.

  A chill swept him. This was where the poor girl would spend her life. Even if the Evil didn’t drive her to it, the isolation would drive her crazy. Preston’s fist curled, and he mentally railed at the unfairness of it all.

  “We all feel the same, agápi mou,” Selene telegraphed to him.

  He looked at her and saw the compassion in her eyes.

  “We don’t have much time,” Serqet said. “The Guardians will only be able to hold the portal open for fifteen minutes. No more.”

  “Right.” Damian focused his attention on Castor, but mentally projected to their entire group. “Move to my right. Now!”

  As one, they ran to where Castor stood. The deities formed a semicircle around the remaining group, blocking their escape as the Aether shoved Annabelle behind him and removed the transmutation wand from his long black sleeve.

  “Sorry, my friends, but we need you to guard the girl.” He didn’t sound at all apologetic as he transformed them into four-legged predators resembling wolves. They ranged in size and color, but each was devoid of hair. Their jaws were overly large and took up half their head, giving them a grotesque grinning appearance.

  As the screams died off, Preston stood shell-shocked and trembling. He’d no idea this was going to happen, and he feared what came next when Damian faced his family.

  “We need you all for this next bit.” He gestured for them to come forward.

  After a moment’s hesitation, Preston gave in to his long-held trust for Damian and Isis. He strode to where the Aether stood in front of the snarling pack of hound-like creatures.

  “Go to your counterpart and remove their magic,” Set instructed. “Visualize every minuscule bead of power and pull it from their cells. Nothing can be left behind.”

  Preston approached the animal that had been Delphine. She snapped and growled as she attempted to back away, but her hindquarters hit an invisible barrier, and she yelped her surprise. The only thing resembling the woman he’d known was the terrified amber eyes.

  “I didn’t know about this, cousin,” he told her softly as he walked forward. “I’d not have chosen this for your fate despite the wrongs you heaped on my family. But here we are, and there’s no turning back.”

  She seemed to understand what he was saying, and she bowed her head as he placed his hand between her jagged ears. Keeping his eyes locked with hers in case she decided to attack, Preston began the process of removing her magic. He searched out each bead as Set had instructed, until there was nothing left. Drawing the magic into a ball, he pressed it to his solar plexus and absorbed it completely.

  “Be well, Delphine. Know we will continue to watch over Leonie and Armand.”

  Her solemn eyes met his, and he had no doubt she understood. It was a daring move on his part, but he turned his back to her to face the Aether. He felt Delphine’s muzzle nudge his hip as she stepped up beside him. With a nod from Damian, she laid down at Preston’s feet and rested her head on her massive front paws.

  Selene appeared to have trouble cornering Victor, and he viciously snapped and snarled, but whenever the beast attempted to bite her, it yelped in pain and fell backward.

  Spring fared no better as she attempted to corral Zhu Lin.

  “Serqet!” Damian’s voice rang out like that of Ra. The powerful sound echoed off the orange rock formations around them. “Control them, my queen. We are out of time.”

  Serqet lifted one hand in Lin’s direction and the other in Victor’s. As Preston watched, their heads were forced down until their snouts were pressed an inch above the dirt. Selene was tentative in her approach, but Spring appeared more confident and charged Lin.

  Everything seemed to be going fine until the words “Fucking bitch!” rang out from Castor through their mental connection and captured everyone’s focus.

  “Katherine practically ripped open my wrist!” he shouted through their link.

  With a suddenness that held Preston immobile, chaos broke free.

  Victor’s head whipped up, and he lunged for Selene’s throat.

  Preston had no time to call out before the slavering jowls clamped around her neck. Heart in his throat, he charged toward the two, only to stop short when Victor gave a vicious shake of his head.

  Blood trickled from the slight puncture wounds where teeth met delicate skin. Salinger could snap her neck, and they all knew it.

  A cry off to his right brought Preston’s head around. Spring had her foot pressed against Lin’s neck and her hands hovered in the air above him as she drew out his power. Tiny sparkling gray lights lifted from the beast and drifted to Spring’s palms. Dismissing the scene, Preston faced Victor.

  “Damian can halt her death by stopping time. But you? You, I will tear apart limb by limb, Salinger, right before I piss on your corpse.”

  A low growl from behind him was the only warning Preston received. As he spun around, he saw Katherine’s new form launch itself at him. Although he lifted his hands, he wasn’t quick enough to conjure the fire to fry her ass.

  Help came in the form of Delphine, who tackled Katherine from the side and pinn
ed her to the ground in a stunningly fast maneuver.

  Daring to take his gaze from the two animals, Preston gave Castor a visual inspection. Alex’s hand dangled from his mangled wrist, and his countenance was deathly pale as he stared back at Preston with pain-filled eyes. “I’m sorry, Thorne,” he croaked out. “I thought I had her.”

  Preston nodded once and sent a mental message to GiGi to use the mending stone to help Alex.

  Concentrating all his attention on the one remaining rebellious monster, Preston approached Victor and Selene. “Let her go, Salinger. I won’t tell you again.”

  Victor snarled and clamped down harder. A strangled cry escaped Selene.

  Lifting his arms, Preston channeled his elemental magic and conjured a flaming arrow.

  “Do you need this one alive, Dethridge?” he silently asked.

  “Not at all.”

  “Good.” Using the flame as a visual distraction, Preston floated it until it was a foot away and eye level with Victor.

  Selene released another whimper of pain, sending Preston’s already galloping pulse into overdrive.

  Blade to Victor’s heart.

  Preston’s concealed knife appeared a second before it slid through the beast’s ribs, piercing his heart and ending his life.

  “Thank you, Alastair,” he murmured as he sprinted to catch Selene before she hit the ground.

  Blood spurted from the wound in her neck, and her skin lost all color as the shadow of death lurked in her beautiful eyes.

  “Don’t die, my love. Not here, or your soul will be obliterated.” He tried healing magic, but it wouldn’t work. “Stay with me, Selene. Please.” Applying pressure to the wound, he frantically searched over his shoulder. “Help me! I can’t stop the blood flow!”

  Damian sent him an anguished look. “I can’t, Preston. If I use magic on her, I risk releasing the Evil into her body.”

  “Let me.” Serqet knelt beside Preston. “Move your hand, child. I won’t let her die.”

  He met her honey eyes and saw the honest intent. “It’ll gush, and I don’t know how much she has left. Be ready.”

  Placing her hands above his, leaving only a one-inch gap, Serqet gave a small nod, and he jerked his hands away as she pressed hers to Selene’s neck. Blinding light escaped through the cracks between her fingers, and he threw a hand up to shield his eyes.