“You’re pretty cocky,” I shouted, coming closer and closer as my bear growled behind me.
“I have a reason to be,” he said, leveling his gun at me. “And when all this is over, I’ll be even more powerful, and you’ll all be dead.”
“Not if we have anything to do with it.” Khat, the leader of the coven, stepped out from around the side of our house. He turned sideways and waved the gun back and forth, from me and Daniel-bear, to Deva and Henry, to the coven. Carol and Beth were right behind them, with a temporary brace on Carol’s wrist. Apparently her ribs weren’t the only thing she’d injured.
Khat held out a hand, but then her brow furrowed when nothing happened.
Joel laughed cruelly. “Oh, yeah, about that. The spell lets me suck the power away from those nearest me. I’m just drawing your power in right now, and you’re not able to use them.” He looked so proud. I wanted to wipe the smirk off of his damn face. “And once I kill you, I keep your power forever. That was my mistake before. Thinking I could leave my sources alive. But with them alive, my powers fade. This time, I won’t make the same mistake. If I kill you, your powers will be mineforever.”
He turned his gun toward Henry. “You first.”
No! I had to slow Joel down.
“Why us?” I called across the sand, trying not to sound desperate as a plan formed in my mind. “Why me and Henry and our parents?”
“Your parents?” He shrugged like killing them was nothing at all. “Circumstance. It just happened that they lived here at a time when I learned how to take powers. They were convenient. And Sarah… it was her bleeding heart. Her naiveté that she could help protect the people she cared for. But Henry…” With a slightly unhinged laugh, he scratched his temple with his gun. “He was easy. I was able to manipulate him through the game. I put together a team ofspecialhumans and supernaturals, knowing that it would be too easy. And then, when I heard Emma had moved back into town, I figured, hey. It was time to redo my spell, anyway. Might as well get the massive powers of Karma.” His smile spread as he glanced back at me. “I look forward to taking care of you last. How delicious that will be.”
Everyone stared at him as if they were focusing. Deva, Carol, the entire coven. The group of a dozen or so women, some young, some older, were all focused on the man. As if crazy gun-welding men threatened them every day, and that nothing would stop them from whatever magic they were preparing to unleash on him.
I just hoped focusing was enough to get through whatever ability he had. But I wasn’t banking on that. Instead, I slowly inched backwards in the sand. Karma’s powers had worked out in the water. How far did I have to get away from him before they worked again?
“Nothing?” Joel asked, scanning all of us as if disappointed.
My thoughts scrambled as I continued to inch backward. I needed to buy some time. “So, you’re basically just a human who became a thief?”
His smile faded. “Do you have any idea how difficult it is for a human to weld black magic? What we have to do… what we have to become… to force magic into us? It’s like growing another organ, Emma, my dear.” He shook his head as if remembering dark things. “Some humans have a piece of it inside of themselves. Coaxing it to life isn’t hard. Some have a wealth of magic, but lack the ability to access it. I had neither. Nothing. Not even a spark inside of myself.”
“Maybe that was for a reason,” I said, having to speak louder as I created space between us.
He glared. “Thereasonis that the world isn’t fair, but that I’ve found a way to make it fair.”
“No--” I began, followed by another step back
“Enough! I know you’re trying to give those witches time to break through my abilities. But, I lied before. My abilities don’t have weaknesses or limitations. The witches could have forever, and still couldn’t defeat me.” He leveled the gun at me. “But you inching away? Sorry, sweetheart, but that’s not going to be allowed to happen. It was a clever idea, but I’m far smarter. So, now, it’s time. Your time. Just be glad you won’t have to watch me kill your loved ones.”
Daniel lumbered forward with a roar, stepping between me and danger, but Joel simply swung his barrel toward the giant bear. “I guess I’ll have to start with you instead. I’ll absorb your extra potent life energy, but no magic, not from a shifter.” He shrugged. “At least I get to kill you.”
“No!” I screamed, wanting to go forward, but instead taking several big steps back in desperation.
Daniel roared again and then started racing at Joel… like he could be faster than a bullet.
As Joel pulled the trigger, my heart squeezed with more pain than I’d ever felt. Not since my parents died. Not even with Rick. It was like a sizzling over my body, like I was on fire.
I would not lose Daniel.
“I willnot.” My voice filled the air as my power exploded out of me.
And exactly as I’d envisioned earlier, the gun in his hand malfunctioned. No bullet came. Instead, there was just a puff of smoke.
Daniel took the opportunity to barrel into Joel, knocking him back on the sand. Then, Daniel settled down on Joel as Deva grabbed Carol and Beth’s hands. The coven circled them. “We’re siphoning off his power now,” Khat called. “He’ll be a normal human soon.”
“Just don’t move!” Deva added, pointing at Daniel.
The big bear just chuffed. I suspected he wasn’t putting his full weight on the squirming and screaming Joel, either.
I wanted to move closer, but then Deva looked back at me. “Is Karma done whatever it’s going to do?”
The truth was I didn’t know. A gun not going off was hardly Karmic justice, but the power I’d felt moments before had to have done more than that. It’d felt like a wave that exploded from me out to all of Mystic Hollow.
