“What could he have that you want?”
Her eyes came to me, the dark depths piercing and cold. “Power. Power like I’ve never seen.”
I shook my head. I’d never seen Rhys exhibit magic on that level. “You have to be mistaken.”
Rhiannon laughed and it raised goose bumps on my skin. “You have no idea what you’ve had in your bed, do you?” she queried. “Theanimavoreis the key to what I want. I helped create him for that singular purpose and Gaius betrayed me.”
“You helpedmakehim?”
“He was my finest creation. I intended to create another such as Macgrath, but my magic wouldn’t comply, but Cornelius and Rhys proved to be a far better substitute. They would have helped me achieve my goal.”
“And what’s that?” My voice was soft, barely above a whisper.
“I will be a goddess, a being so powerful that all will tremble before me.”
I stared at her and shook my head. “And what use is that? What use is all that power if you hoard it for yourself rather than helping others?”
“Helping others?” she scoffed. “I spent decades helping others, giving them everything I had to offer, sharing the gifts I’d been given. Do you know what they did to me?” she asked, stalking closer. “When I fell ill, after all that time spent helping them, they left me alone to die. No one came to aid me when I was in need. I was old and weak but none of the people I helped, the people Iloved, could be bothered to feed me or keep my fires burning as I had done for them hundreds, nay thousands of times.”
“How are you here?” I asked.
Her eyes burned with frigid fire. “On my deathbed, I cast a spell. I recalled every drop of power I expended to help the villagers. Everyone I healed, everyone I ever helped, no longer benefitted from my aid.”
“What happened to them?”
“Most died. Some were able to survive, but they learned that they shouldn’t have taken me for granted.”
I shook my head. I could understand her bitterness at being abandoned by the villagers she’d helped so much, but to kill them in retaliation? “Do you truly believe the punishment fit the crime?”
Rhiannon waved a hand. “It doesn’t matter if it did or not. I no longer concern myself with thehelppeople might need. What I want is what matters.”
“What do you expect all this power to bring you?” I truly wanted to understand. “Do you want people to bow down to you? To serve you?”
“Bow down to me, yes, that sounds nice,” Rhiannon laughed. “But I have no desire to be empress of this realm.”
I frowned at her strange word choice. “Then why do you want all this power?”
The manic light in her eyes faded slightly, replaced once again by the pain I sensed roiling inside her. “There is one who made me what I am, for every creature has a maker. She abandoned me in my time of need and then punished me for doing what was necessary to save myself. She doesn’t deserve to sit in judgment of me or of anyone. My magic is not for her to give and take.”
I stared at her in disbelief. “All of this is for revenge?” I questioned. “You want to punish your maker so you’re killing people? Do you not see how crazy that is?”
The witch scowled at me, the power swirling around her as she lifted her hand. “You—”
“They’re coming,” Macgrath said, stepping between us.
Still glowering at me, Rhiannon moved toward the edge of the circle. I watched the headlights that halted on the road that ran along the edge of the field and felt my heart thud against my ribs.
I could feel the energy gathering around us as the headlights shut off. From across the pasture, I could hear the doors slam as they climbed out and began walking toward us. The ground trembled beneath us as a light encircled the entire field, radiating upward until it closed high above us, creating a pulsing dome of glowing magic.
I’d known since the moment I stepped out of Rhiannon’s car that something wasn’t right. Now I knew why.
The trap was ready and waiting and now Rhiannon Temple had sprung it around us.
There would be no escape unless we defeated her.
