The wolves continued to snap at him, but one by one they became immobile.
“You could be like me,” Novus declared, which made my stomach bottom out.
“I’d rather die,” I spat, forcing the words out against his hold.
I tried to shield myself but was unable to; his power was too strong, pressing in around me on all sides, covering every square inch of my skin.
“Oh, you will get that wish.” Novus grinned. “As much as training you might be fun, I’d rather justbeyou.”
He pulled up his fingers and the tips of his nails began to grow into long, sharp claws.
This was what he did. He gutted people and consumed them and their power.
This was my worst nightmare. There was no way I was going down like this without giving this guy the fight of his life.
Without knowing what else to do, I screamed. I screamed in his ugly face, my spittle covering him as I pushed against his power with the strength of a woman in labor.
Drawing in another breath, I screamed again. The wild act of yelling helped to build the rage inside of me, which was kindling for the fire to my magic.
His face faltered, and he threw his hands out seemingly to protect himself just as I shattered whatever hold he had over me and my wolves.
‘Attack!’I gave the command as I too rushed forward. I had no gun, no sword, just my bare hands and a death wish. I remembered something then, something Maddy had told me.
Lena was especially good with the time freezing magic that a Greywolf carried.
Did I believe I was Lena? I wanted to be. As the ghost wolves tore into his legs and Novus shouted in surprise, I wrapped my hands around his throat and pushed the time stopping magic into him.
It was a terrifying sight. Almost like I was pushing ice into him, his neck froze, then his lips, then his upper body. He staggered forward as if to attack me but I thrust more magic out, protective of myself and my pack, and then he froze completely, not even blinking.
It was in that moment that Brayden, Leah, Castiel, Natalie, Blake, Axel and Gabe all popped into the grassy field and surrounded us.
Artemis too.
They were free.
I wanted to speak, to act relieved, but it was taking every ounce of my concentration to hold the creature in front of me. He lashed against me with his power, but I held him in that suspended moment in time, not allowing any of his attacks to take hold. My fingers burned as I kept them on his throat.
Sweat beaded on my brow as Brayden rushed for me.
“Don’t touch her!” Artemis intercepted him. “She can’t hold him much longer. We have to kill him.”
Oh thank God.Someone with a plan.
It was like holding a live rattlesnake that was constantly trying to bite you. Novus was lashing out with so much magic that it actually became physically painful to hold him. My joints started to ache and I felt hot. Really hot.
“Averly, talk to me, are you okay?” Brayden was right beside me but I couldn’t look at him. I was staring in Novus’ dead empty eyes, focused on the task at hand.
“Don’t distract her!” Artemis snapped. “Listen! The only way to kill him is to first drain his power. Remember your oath to me, Brayden. That you would help avenge my brother.”
Brayden shook himself. “Of course. How to do we drain his power?”
Artemis knelt down in the corner of my vision. I could barely see him. He placed his hands on the earth.
Something wet trickled down my nose and hit my lips and I knew the second the coppery saltiness reached my tongue that it was blood. My brain felt like it was being squeezed. I looked deeper into Novus’ eyes and saw triumph. He knew that I couldn’t hold him like this much longer.
“The earth will take it. Through me,” Artemis declared. “Gather round and hold hands. Use your power to push into him. I’ll tease out the magic and funnel it to the earth. Then you rip him into a hundred pieces.”
“Gladly,” Brayden growled.
