Maeve was ready to take the woman on. But not in her spellroom. The power of her killing arm could shatter all the glass canisters and she didn’t know what would happen if the ingredients came together with two powerful witches in one room. She could end up significantly, if accidentally, giving the bitch a power boost.
Though she was reluctant to reveal her burrow to Veyda, she had no other choice. Besides, the close proximity could help her do what needed to be done.
She would do everything she could to come out of the confrontation alive, for the sake of her babies. But more than anything right now, Veyda had to disappear off the face of the earth.
She moved swiftly to the burrow door, opened it then slipped inside.
She heard Veyda laugh. “Where do you think you’re going? Did you think you can escape me? I know that space is a dead end.”
Maeve moved to the back of the burrow and faced the doorway.
Slowly Veyda opened the door. “What an idiotic move.”
The moment the witch was in plain view, Maeve let loose with her killing power.
Veyda screamed in pain, then returned fire with her own deadly, blood red stream of energy.
Maeve met the power with the force of her will and her rage. Gold and red sparks flew up toward the rock ceiling. She could feel the plants recoiling all around her, but she couldn’t help the damage that would be done.
She also sensed that Braden was nearby. He’d come back to her apartment.
Maybe she had a chance after all.
She didn’t hesitate to reach out to him.I’ve got Veyda in the burrow and I’m not letting her leave except on her back, eyes wide open, her heart at a dead stop. I could use your help, though. You might want to put a spell together. I suggest you use a touch of emerald flame. Either that, or stay the hell out of here.
Got it.Braden’s deep telepathic voice heightened Maeve’s determination.
Maeve continued to fire her killing power. Yet, she knew Veyda had tremendous ability and eventually Maeve would be in serious trouble.
It came sooner than she expected as she watched Veyda’s right hand flick in her direction.
The next moment, Maeve’s power faltered and Veyda drew her own back. Maeve fell, or perhaps floated, onto the nearby furs. Her mind spun in beautiful circles.
This felt and smelled very familiar. She remembered now. This was how Veyda had abducted her the first time. She now knew the ingredients and one of them was emerald flame.
She tried to reach Braden, but couldn’t. She just hoped to hell he could set aside his abhorrence of the drug and take care of business. He was a noble man and wouldn’t leave here as long as Veyda was present in Maeve’s home. Yet, he would need the added boost to have even a small chance of defeating the demon witch.
In the meantime, Veyda moved to hover nearby, smiling in triumph.
You’ll be mine, soon, Maeve. And you will join my coven.
~ ~ ~
Braden stood in front of the glass canisters and accessed his warlock-sense. He knew Maeve was in trouble. He’d felt her fall beneath one of Veyda’s spells.
He had to work fast. He wasn’t sure what Veyda planned to do, but it wouldn’t be good. When he heard her start chanting, his heartrate doubled.
He also had to subdue his wolf. The sheer physicality of his wolf-life, as well as his time as a Border Patrol officer, demanded he act.
If he did, however, they’d both die. He needed warlock cunning right now, not wolf brawn.
He pulled five glass containers from the shelves as though he’d been creating spells his entire life. He dipped into each one, took out a portion that felt right, then dumped it into the nearby mortar.
When he had the correct mixture assembled, he stared down into the marble bowl. He was missing one ingredient. He could sense it as though the letters were carved into the smooth surface of the stone: Emerald flame.
He hated this drug more than the others because he’d seen the results of its abuse in Savage. As a result, he’d had a zero-tolerance policy in his pack.
But if he was to save the woman he loved and the children she carried, it was the only way.
