A loud crack rents the air, making everyone jump. Jamie stops her chanting and cutting, and looks to the door, the blood draining from her face. I, however, study the now bloody symbols at my feet and see that one of the stones is now cracked where once it was whole. I take it in and then test what I think just happened, by shoving a bleeding hand through the space above the symbol. I wait for the pain to slam into me when my hand starts to cross the barrier that was just there, but nothing happens.
Shock slams into me.
Holy shit, it worked.
I quickly move my hand over to the stone that still has an intact demon mark, and pain rushes through me like a tidal wave with the contact. I yank my hand back, but all I need is to crack a couple more stones, and I can get free. Elation hammers through me with the revelation, and I look up at Jamie, vengeance and triumph written all over my face.
Satisfaction blooms in my chest as I watch panic quake through Jamie, her stare grows worried, and she rushes to double down on what she’s doing, chanting faster as she once again starts in on Elon. I focus back on the trail of my blood, chanting just as fast. The Mancer spills off my tongue like a vicious waterfall of magic, pouring my will into my blood as stone by stone, I fight to take back my freedom.
Another stone cracks, but I don’t stop to celebrate as Jamie and I race against each other for Elon’s life. Tension tightens every muscle in my body as I rush to get the fuck out of here and stop Jamie from finishing the ritual with Elon. Another stone cracks, and I know I only need one more, and then I’m going to annihilate her and the demon who made all of this fucked up shit possible.
“Stop,” Jamie screams, and I look up to see she’s holding the knife to Elon’s throat with a shaky hand. “Don’t you dare break one more symbol, or I’ll kill him right now,” she threatens, and I freeze. The manic gleam is back in her eye, and I know she means what she’s saying.
I slip my arm out of the magicked cage, the threat clear. I may not be able to get out yet, but enough of me can to try and stop her if she tries anything.
“Don’t move,” she growls, pressing the knife into his throat harder as she glares at me.
I glare right back, but I stop, worried if I say anything or move anything, it’ll make her too jumpy and Elon will pay the price.
“How the hell do you have blood magic?” she demands, her voice just shy of a shriek. “Your grandmother didn’t have blood magic, and no one else in your family had any other branches,” she declares, clearly knowing way too much about me and the people I love.
I recall her talking about doing research, and it makes me wonder just how deep she dug into everyone she’s taken.
“No, she didn’t have blood magic,” I agree evenly and calmly as though I’m trying to calm a spooked horse. “Beforeyoustarted taking Osteomancers, I didn’t either,” I tell her cryptically as I silently and cautiously push magic out into my freed hand and try to feel for her bones or for her blood.
“So how the fuck do you have it then?” she snarls impatiently.
Elon flinches against the blade being pressed into his neck as he looks at me with rage etched into the planes of his face and pleading eyes, silently begging me to stop her. I try to search for a way to magically do that, but even though I’m straining to get my hooks in her, I can’t find a way. It’s as though her essence, her physical body, isn’t standing right in front of me. Maybe the demon magic has cloaked her somehow, and I try not to show the worry in my face that I feel over the fact that my magic still might not be enough to stop this.
“Because I’m tethered to a Blood Witch, how do you think the Order is tracking me?” I tell her, doubling down on the lie.
Jamie’s face whitens before my eyes. I can physically see the horror that runs through her at my declaration. I had no idea what a tether was before Rogan, but it’s clear that Jamie knows exactly what I’m talking about, and she’s terrified.
I should feel some sort of gratification from her reaction, take delight in the raw fear I now see written all over her face, but she’s still holding the knife to Elon’s throat, and I’m afraid she’s going to slip and hurt him. I tell myself that I’ll use the blood magic to stop the bleeding if it comes to that, but if the wound’s bad, I might not be able to do enough to save him. There’s also still the issue of the magical dead zone that seems to be wrapped around Jamie and Elon.
“I’ll still trade places with Elon,” I offer calmly. “There’s still time for both of us to get what we want from this,” I remind her, my eyes dropping from her unhinged stare down to Elon.
I try to offer him what reassurance I can with a look, and then I look around at the base of the altar and around the dais for anything that might still be blocking my magic.
A thunderous boom sounds off all around us. I have to fight to keep from jumping out of my skin, and my head snaps in the direction of the church entryway, because that sure as hell wasn’t me. The large wooden doors bow like they’re on the verge of admitting whoever is on the other side. I stare at it completely stupefied as astonishment slowly sinks in, and relief starts to bubble up inside of me.
He’s here.
I don’t know how I know, but I do. Rogan is fighting to get in. He’s so close and yet so far away, but he’s here. He’s here andwe’restill alive. My eyes well with tears, and I turn back toward the dais, my eyes eagerly searching for Elon’s. I go deadly still when I realize that Jamie’s pointing a gun at me with one hand, and the other hand is still gripping the knife, only the blade is poised over Elon’s heart instead of resting against his throat.
He looks over at me, his green eyes filled with tears, and terror and rage war inside of me.
Jamie laughs as another massive crack booms through the doors behind me, but I can tell they still haven’t made it through.
So close!
“You thought you’d won, didn’t you?” she asks jeeringly.
I hold my breath, screaming inside for them to break down the doors and stop this psycho.
Another thunderous crack pounds through the doors.
Hurry!
