The three witches remained in their circle in the street. They began to draw up power again, though it was obvious they were tired, and nearly at the end of their power reserves. This magic was dark, a sickly, vile orange/green tint stained with a lightless black, like soot. It stank of battlefields and graveyards and rotted meat, with the overlay of acid.
Ursula, Fiona, and Endora said awyrdin a language I didn’t know.
It didn’t sound like Irish Gaelic, the spell language used by the Everharts, nor did it sound like a Romance language. But it was magic for sure, black magic. Not that I could prove it, not without a visible sacrifice. The bloodsacrifice had to be hidden under an obfuscation working, a really effective one.
I couldn’t act without solid proof. I also couldn’t act in the mere presence of black magic. It had to be used in violation of witch law, and without the sacrifice I had no idea if the law had been broken.
Crapolaagain.
They said thewyrdagain. And a third time.
The power of thewyrdshivered along my limbs and through the lush trees and foliage along the street, through the yards. Sucking life and light from everything. Black sparks hissed and sizzled all around me. The three witches drew in the rising power and rolled it between them into a lightless ball filled with orange motes of power with a shimmer of green, manipulating magic into a sphere as big as a beach ball. All the energy in the world seemed to shift toward them, all the light, all the warmth. The magic stank of acid and old bones. And brimstone.
I knew what this magic was. And it wasn’t just black magic.
“We got a problem,” I managed to say.
I nearly fell. Koun caught my arm. “My Queen?” he asked.
“Aw, crap,” I said, trying to think of words to explain what was happening, yet knowing that nothing could stop it. Nothing. “Oh no...” If I told Koun what they were doing, he would rush in and he would die true dead. I wasn’t sure how I knew that. I just knew it, as surely as I knew Koun would be dying true dead for me.
I clutched his arm to hold him in place.
I knew this magic, knew how it could take over and destroy everything.
The witches rolled the power, three witches. Rule of Three. This was gonna be bad. Holding the ball of dark magic, lifting it above their heads, they turned.
The Glob, in my pocket, heated, sucking in all the random bits of energy. Protecting me, protecting Koun and Eli. But doing nothing for my unit hidden all along the street.
From overhead, leaves fell, dry and brittle. “Ohshit,”I whispered, seeing the future as clearly as if I were seeing it in droplets in the shower.
“Jane?” Alex said, startled at the profanity.
I drew in a lungful of air and shouted, “Retreat! Retreat! Fall back!”
Before I could say another word, the witches threw the ball of energy at the house.
The dark power hit the inner ward. Black sparks flew through the air and shivered through the yard, down the street, through me. Draining even though the power of the Glob. Dark power ate into the ward, green and orange and the black of hell. Static lightning crackled across the ward. The stench was acidic and acerbic and the smell of roasted bones mixed with brimstone as the working attacked it.
I staggered. Caught myself on Koun and Eli.
The Glob in my pocket grew warm. Then hot. And... even withoutle breloqueon my head, my crown was active. I could feel my own Dark Queen magic dissecting the working, protecting us, protecting my people like a wall made of sheet steel. A thin barrier I hadn’t known I could draw on. And didn’t how I was doing it now.
Not knowing how I did things sucked.
But we were okay. That was good. I’d take it. If that was really happening.
“Alex, is everyone okay?” I asked.
“Yes, according to armor suit readouts. Except you. According to the overhead drone, your pocket is showing a heat source.”
I shook my head to clear it, remembering the drones. Right. Eli had made sure they were launched before he left his SUV.
“The Glob,” I said. “It’s hot.”
In front of me, the vamps who had been standing to the sides of the attacking witches stepped forward. I still held Koun close, as the last of the dark magics quivered and dissipated. I could feel the desire to rush into battle quiver through his body. Eli stared into the night, ready to fire, but waiting for the moment when we legally could defend the prison.
I looked away from the action and swept my eyes aroundthe battlefield. The foliage that had been verdant and green was now dry and brown, brittle and flaking away. Dead.
