My right hand trembled as I forced myself not to touch him. I couldn’t understand why I wanted to so badly, but there was something in Louis that had always called to me. “Why did you let her die?” he asked me then, and his subject change knocked the breath from me. “You knew someone was stalking her, and you never even told me.”
This wasn’t technically true. Regina had admitted that she was having an issue with a local witch, Taylor. This witch had envied my sister’s power, and most importantly, she had envied her having Louis. But Regina had asked me not to say anything. She wasn’t worried.
“She thought she could deal with it herself,” I said, sadness in my tone. “Neither of us realized how psycho Taylor actually was. If I had thought for one second that she was planning on hurting Reggie...”
Louis flinched as I used her nickname, his huge body tense as he sucked in a long breath. “I’ve blamed you for her death for a long time,” he told me. “But now I see that it was Regina’s fault. She was cocky and she didn’t trust me with her problems. My power has given me clarity, and I’m ready to move past the grief that immobilized me for so many years.”
Talking to him like this, he almost felt like the old Louis. If it wasn’t for the darkness swirling around his body, I wouldn’t have been able to tell at all. “You need to stop this spell,” I said again, this time taking a step closer. “There’s other ways to slowly bring us into the human world, ways that would not create mass hysteria. I think you should consider that maybe you’ve jumped in too hard and fast, and we should dial it back a little.”
“This is the best way—” he started to say, but was cut off as powerful sorcerers filled the room. My eyes landed on Braxton and Jessa, both of whom were back in the hall, watching Louis and me closely.
“Elders,” Louis spat. “One more thing I have to deal with.”
Apparently the Compasses hadn’t quite been circumspect enough when they’d searched for answers, or word had gotten out some other way. There were hundreds of terrified supes here, and any one of them might have called for help.
Louis stepped forward, lifting his hands to cast magic at them. He must have forgotten that I had bound our powers, though. I felt the swell of energy as he reached for the ley line, and the tap on my power as well as it sought for me to release it and allow him access.
I refused, locking my energy down and reinforcing the block.
“Release me!” Louis growled.
I shook my head. “No!”
“Louis!” roared an older sorcerer. He was grizzled, nearing the end of his long life, but he was definitely powerful. “You need to stop this spell now. Already there are humans at the edge of Stratford.”
Louis ignored him, his focus on me. “Lizzie, I will not ask you again. Release my magic.”
I hated when he called me Lizzie. I hated when he called me Elizabeth. And the bastard knew that.
“You’re going to have to kill me,” I said slowly.
He moved toward me until he crowded right over me, using his size to intimidate me. If I hadn’t been short for my entire life, it might even have worked. But I was used to being the smallest, and it didn’t bother me anymore.
“You’re a part of my past that I would be happy to never revisit again,” he growled down at me, “but I don’t want to kill you.”
The unspoken “I will if I have to, though” remained between us.
“We will give you to the count of five, Louis, and then we attack.”
That threat was from more than one sorcerer; the room was slowly filling as more reinforcements entered.
I noticed Jessa had wiggled her way out from under Braxton; she was near the stage gesturing to me. “Lizzie, get out of there,” she hissed. “Psycho Louis is not to be trusted.”
It was true, but I couldn’t bring myself to move just yet.
“Five! … Four! … Three!”
Louis didn’t look worried. “You better release my power or we’re both about to die,” he said causally, sounding more relaxed than I’d heard him in a long time.
In that moment, I briefly considered releasing him, because survival instinct is always strongest when you’re closest to death. But I knew there was no way I could allow him to kill all of these sorcerers. Our elders and chiefs were too important. Their knowledge could not be lost yet.
I would protect them.
“Two! … Last chance, Louis.” Brief pause. “One!”
“Louis!” Jessa screamed as the final number rang out.
Power blasted in a single concentrated burst, heading straight for Louis. His eyes locked with mine. My breath caught, throat already burning with unshed tears, and I had no idea why I did it, but my legs were moving before my brain even caught up.
