Page 30 of Crown of Chaos

Kinvara slapped Aurora, jerking her out of the spell that had her enthralled. Aurora turned toward Hecate, gawking in horror as our situation finally registered. Reign continued sobbing, holding Rhaghana tightly, which drew my aunt’s attention. Aurora’s deep blue stare swelled at the sight, as if she truly was just realizing she’d escorted us all into another ambush.

Finally, and likely far too late, Aurora gathered magic from those we’d brought, but it was a drop to Hecate’s ocean. Aurora’s regret-filled gaze found mine. Her lips quivered, and she worried her head in a silent signal for me to remain unnoticed.

I couldn’t just stand by and allow Hecate to murder my sisters, friends, and my unborn babes, though. So, I yanked even more magic to me, and finally, I felt it unraveling, answering my call. Hecate zeroed in on me, her lips pulling back over her sparkling white, needle-like teeth that were twisted within her mouth. She didn’t even try to appear mortal as she often had throughout the history of the Nine Realms.

Mist pooled around her as she walked toward me, her lime-green eyes dropping to my stomach. They flashed with malice, and hatred billowed from her, threatening to roll me under its wave and hold me there until I ceased to draw breath. The dire wolves surrounding her howled, gnashing their teeth as saliva dripped from their mutilated jaws.

“You’re a monstrosity!” she snarled, spewing acid-like spittle over the barrier, which sizzled and smoked under the droplets. “You shouldn’t be alive,” she continued. She leveled a murderous glare on Aurora. “I told you and Freya to end the bitch before she drew her first breath of air! Do I have to do everything myself?” she asked, turning back to face me. “You die here, as well as the monster inside you.”

“Hello, Grandmother.” I sneered. Cocking my hip, I placed my palm on it, and bowed my head while forcing more power into my fingertips.

While Hecate’s attention focused on me, Aurora flung the magic she’d pulled from our witches at her mother. The bitch sailed backward and slammed into the stone wall that surrounded the keep, but Hecate had barely landed before she was back on her feet.

Her scream was full of fury as it echoed off the stone walls. Hecate’s angry shrill snarl released wispy ropes of violent, angry magic that slammed into the witches, and dire wolves rendering both to dust clouds. It slammed against the barrier, creating eddies of ashes that sought to escape her vile, wicked magic.

The wind battered us viciously, knocking the remaining dark witches down and forcing them to use their inhuman nails to gain purchase in the soil so they wouldn’t be swept into the thick trees. The sound of wood creaking and groaning under the strain of her anger filled my ears. In silence, I observed the remaining dark witches slowly turning to ash. I sent my magic to fortify the barrier, feeling the sickening, oily dark magic she released continually battering against it, seeking a way to slaughter us.

“You are nothing! I am the Goddess of Magic, and you will heed me now or die on this unhallowed ground,” she snarled, dancing back to avoid the power Aurora continued to push toward her.

This time, I added my magic, shoving it hard and fast at Hecate, and when I hit her, she screeched in pain. Once again, she hit the wall, but this time, she stayed down under our relentless assault. The dire wolves crashed into her, crushing her with their rotten corpses. I added more and more magic until I felt the realm pulling back from me. I silently begged for it to give me a little more, knowing it would do me no good.

Still, I pulled until my ears popped and blood ran from my nose. The others weren’t faring any better, collapsing and howling while fighting against the agonizing pain she unleashed. My fingers began bending in the wrong direction, and I gasped, releasing some magic. It was enough to allow Hecate a chance to slam magic at us, sending those who hadn’t prepared for the attack to the ground.

“Open us a portal, now!” I ordered over the wind as we all tried to regain our feet, knowing Sabine would do as I demanded.

Instead of pulling from the realm this time, I added my witch magic to Aurora’s, and Hecate’s gaze sliced in my direction. Her eyes rounded, and then she smacked her palms on the earthen floor, causing everyone within the barrier to fly against its invisible wall. The runes she’d employed attached the barrier, working to bring it down. The runes mimicked leaches, sucking against the magic of the barrier like blood, draining it with a sloppy, wet suction sound that was sickening. Her fingers curled against her palms, and the sensation of being crushed shot through me. Blinking rapidly, I shivered as she bypassed the barrier with the runes, with them removing the intricate spell by layers. They’d easily removed the protection and spell that prevented her from touching us with magic. It meant we had to move, now. Whispers left her lips, and I yelped with the agony of being ripped apart as her attack united into one well planned assault. Hecate didn’t want us dead because if she did, we would be. That knowledge was terrifying since I’d rather be dead than turned into a battery for her. I whimpered, making myself get up and send another wave of magic at her.

Sweat trickled down my spine, and Ember finally joined the battle, adding her strength to mine while I faced off against my grandmother. Hecate’s attention slid to my stomach yet again, and I fought the urge to wrap my arms protectively over my unborn babes. I could hear Sabine yelling for everyone to hurry through the portal, but if I stopped fighting, more people would die before they were able to reach the portal to escape.

We would be lucky to escape this fight at all, let alone with our lives. I hadn’t wanted to reveal to Hecate that I had been collecting the elements, but I had no choice. I called on the lightning, smelling the thick scent of ozone seconds before bolts of blinding white light began slamming down through the field and hitting the witches who were feeding Hecate her power. The smell of freshly fried witch hung heavy as the rain began to pelt everyone, wetting the earth and enticing the lightning.

Hecate’s wild gaze searched the sky, and I raised a brow as Aurora glanced back at me as she passed through the portal. When she slammed it shut, panic rioted through me, and then magic flooded into the few who’d been left behind. Still, I refused to go down.

Hecate’s eyes had lowered, and her magic was gathering as the others struggled to get to their feet. I prepared to unleash another wave of lightning on Hecate, praying it would be enough to keep her distracted while we escaped.

“Open another portal,” I whispered, barely able to get words past my trembling lips. My teeth chattered from the intensity of the magic I was fighting for as well as fighting against. “She’s about to break through the barrier,” I warned, grunting as her magic slashed against the invisible shield while her attacks smashed into me.

“I need more time,” Siobhan shouted over the howling wind and rain.

“We’re out of time,” I hissed as the barrier popped. Hecate attacked me with her magic at the same moment I unleashed mine on her.

It plowed into me violently, and I screamed in agony as something flashed through the space between us. Someone advanced on Hecate, Hecate’s magic pulsed, and the whole world ground to a stop.

Reign had gone still a few feet in front of me. My sister’s twin blades were drawn as if she aimed to take Hecate’s head. My heartbeat echoed inside me, and Hecate’s green eyes shifted, holding mine as she closed her fist. Reign exploded, and I yelled in rage and grief.

“No! Reign, no!” I shouted brokenly. I pushed the last of my magic toward my evil grandmother, hearing her screaming in agony as I unleashed everything I had in me at once.

Sobs burst from my throat as I saw the red mist floating in the air. The pain flooding me was deafening, and I barely registered hands yanking me backward. They were too slow to move me out of the path of the white ball of magic that Hecate threw at me. I stumbled, which had me tumbling through the portal that Siobhan closed the instant I was on the other side.

My haunted scream continued to echo through the realms long after my ears pulsed with the silence of the room we’d landed in. Reign had attempted to save me, and she’d died. Hecate had murdered her. As my three friends tried to quiet my shaking, pain-filled cries that consumed the dark underbelly of the sanctuary where Siobhan had brought us, all I could see was the mist of red that had billowed from my sister.

Aurora had abandoned us. She’d calculated the odds and cut her losses to save the others.

We’d faced Hecate for the first time, and we’d lost two sisters, and Aurora hadabandonedus. The thoughts looped and taunted and refused to release me as I leaned against the girls and sobbed. I couldn’t stop or ignore the grief, but Hecate had gotten a hit in, and she’d made it count. I felt her magic pulsing through me, and I knew what she’d done without having to be told.

“You’re bleeding,” Esme muttered in a terrified tone.

I shook my head, and another sob escaped my lips. I covered my mouth with my hands, fighting to calm the emotions churning through me. I didn’t want to look or see what was dripping down my legs. I knew what I would find because my belly was tightening with contractions, and it was all too much to handle.

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