Over my dead body.
The scream that exits me is unnatural and loud. I push every ounce of magic out of my body, hoping to end the pain and save myself. I’ve shaken buildings with my anguish before, but this time I split the earth. Like an earthquake, the rock shifts beneath us, opening the earth’s core. I hope Satan makes an appearance and sucks these cunts into the depths of Hell.
The pure damage of my magic causes them to stop their chanting and they drop my body onto the cold ground. Mud and leaves stick to my chilled skin as I try to catch my breath. I’m exhausted. I’ve never exuded that much magical energy in my life. I roll to my side to see Stevie’s wide eyes as she crawls to me. Half of the coven is on the other part of the break in the ground, while the other half is stuck here with me and Stevie. All of them are lying on the ground from whatever magic I cast. They all still look to be breathing, unfortunately.
What I wouldn’t give for a goddamn transporter talisman right now.
Stevie makes it to me and she strokes my hair from my face. “We need to get out of here now.”
“Fuck, I’m so tired, Stevie.” I can feel my eyes drooping. I just want to sleep on this cold soil, just for a little while, until I’m strong again.
Stevie slaps me hard against the face. “Get up!” She huffs and I hear her casting some shielding spells.
“Stevie, I can’t.”
My cousin weeps over on top of me. “Blair, you will get your ass up. How else will you get vengeance?” My cousin knows me well. I might not be fueled by saving my life, but exacting revenge is the highest form of motivation.
I groan and shift onto my side and Stevie helps throw my arm over her shoulder as she half carries me to the Jeep. She’s heaving and out of breath as she pushes me into the passenger door. I can sense the other witches following us before Stevie places a sleeping charm on the group of traitors. They all fall to the ground; I can hear their bodies hitting the soil as Stevie exerts herself to buckle me in the car.
Even though they’re all sleeping on the ground, half of the candles have been snuffed out. I can’t help but yell at them.
“You bitches are fucking lucky I’m so tired right now,” I shout, even though I know they are all asleep and can’t hear me. If I wasn’t so groggy I would tell Stevie how proud I was of her, that was a lot of people to put to sleep at once. “They’re lucky I’m so tired or I would wreck the wards and let the werewolves have them.” Stevie doesn’t react to my attempt to make things lighter.
She shuts the door, and my head quickly lolls against the glass. I register the slam of another door as the Jeep jolts with Stevie’s foot pressing heavily on the accelerator.
“Blair, are you with me, Blair?”
“Yeah,” I whisper, but all I want to do is sleep. I haven’t cried in years, but at this moment I feel close. I knew my coven didn’t like me, but to sacrifice me,fucking murder me, for my power. That’s beyond anything I ever thought them capable of. If tonight proved anything, it’s that they messed with the wrong witch.
Stevie drives like a bat out of Hell toward our house. “They know where we live, Stevie.”
“You think they could get through your wards?”
I shake my head no. I’ve already made sure that Stevie and I are the only magical beings allowed to enter the premises.
“Fuck! Fuck!” I shout in anger and in pain. My head hurts and all I want to do is climb into bed and sleep for a million years. I want to forget that Stevie is the only living person who gives a fuck about me. Am I really that unlovable of a person?
I can’t help it, but that thought alone is what makes me cry. Years of pent up anger, frustration, and fear pours out of me.
“Blair?” Stevie whispers in panic. I wipe my eyes quickly and slump into the seat.
“I’m fine, Stevie.” I sniffle.
“No, you’re not, Blair. It’s okay to let it out.”
“No, it’s not.” I sigh and smack my head on the glass of the door and wince. I must fall asleep at some point, because I feel myself being sucked into a dream sequence.
Chapter 6
AsmodeusandIheadto the warehouse where there has been suspicious activity. We got a tip from one of Asmo’s vampire informants. It’s cold near the import docks, your standard spooky setting for some shit to go wrong. However, nothing feels magical, just gross.
“Humans are fucking foul,” Asmo complains next to me as his shoe kicks away the used needles on the ground.
“I don’t sense anything, do you?”
“No, just another dead end lead. I’m tired. Let’s just portal home.”
Suddenly, there’s a crack over one of the shipping containers. The air is filled with sulfur and I immediately know another demon has just portaled nearby.
