Rick was in front, carrying a gun with a huge barrel, big enough to be a small cannon.
Margot carried a target pistol with a long barrel and moved into range, half-hidden behind a car.
FireWind was carrying an old hunting rifle. He positioned himself at a different angle from Margot’s. His job was to take Carollette down permanently if the other means didn’t.
The three witches spread out in a triangle, Etain moving to the far side of the porch, T. Laine on the near side, and closer to their target. There wouldn’t be time or opportunity to create a circle around the house. They would be using a triangle to cast their working, and with T. Laine the only powerful witch, the working could be limited in scope and power.
I wasn’t wearing an earbud, but I understood. Because she was so dangerous, there would be no warnings. No chance to give up. No chance for the suspect to place a weapon on the ground and raise her hands. No chance. Because Carollettewasa weapon.
FireWind and Rick shared a look and FireWind gave a single jutting nod, his lips saying, “Go.” Rick aimed, took a breath, released half of it, and fired. A beanbag filled with steel pellets hit our suspect in the left chest. She rocked in her chair, her head whipping side to side.
Rick fired again, hitting his target. Carollette fell to the porch, her hands to her chest, her breath knocked out twice.
T. Laine threw all the null pens at the porch. They landed around the downedajasgili.
T. Laine and FireWind raced in, the big boss with his weapon aimed at Carollette’s head. T. Laine secured Carollette in official steel cuffs and then in silvered null wrist cuffs. While she was still trying to recover, T. Laine bound her head in silver skull cuffs, two of them, taking no chances. They backed away and the three witches cast a ward around the downed woman, a small but powerfulhedge of thorns. The ward was so strong it cast a bright red glow in the night, something I hadn’t seen before.
The body language of the surrounding unit and witches relaxed, the witches blowing out hard breaths.
FireWind backed away, his weapon pointed at the ground.
Margot, who was closest to me, chuckled and stood, her words carrying to me. “Well, that was easy.”
But it wasn’t easy. It wasn’t over.
The earth trembled.
Death and decaybegan to rise.
Everything happened, almost too fast to follow.
FireWind raised his hunting rifle.
Catriona, Etain, and T. Laine whirled and began pouring energies into thehedge.
Margot bent over the hood of the car she had hidden behind. Aimed her target pistol.
FireWind aimed.
Rick dropped the beanbag gun. Pulled his service weapon, racing in.
Thehedge of thorns, intended to enclose the necromancer and contain herdeath and decayenergies, sparked and stuttered. The energies died.
FireWind fired.
Occam raced toward the porch, his eyes glowing in the night. His service weapon out in front. Holding the remains of the potted cabbage in the crook of my arm, I opened my car’s passenger door, falling as the earth shook. I landed on my knees. Made it to my feet, clutching the car door. Gasping.
There wasn’t much Soulwood soil left in the pot. There wasn’t much of me left. I couldn’t do this. I couldn’t. And I had to.
Gunshots sounded, cracking on the night.
Tears raced down my face.
More shots sounded.
The earth rolled and shook.
My feet dragged as I approached the porch. More shots sounded.Death and decayroiled and stretched, aiming at our witches. Aiming at Occam, who fired from the far side of the house. When the porch was thirty feet ahead, I tried to say, “It’s not going to be enough.” But they didn’t hear me over the weapons’ fire.
