Page 96 of The Fearless Witch

“For fuck’s sake, fight already!” A voice groaned in frustration and I glanced around in shock, half expecting to see Beleth complaining. But when our eyes met, his were dark and full of tension, just like they had been when he faced Alastair.

The voice had been male, so it couldn’t have been any of the witches, but why would one of our own undermine me while I was speaking? The answer came when a figure stepped from the deep shadows of the trees. A large, glowing rune was branded on his forehead, with more running around his neck and wrists.

“You see, I was waiting for you to kill each other and when this bitch won,” he waved dismissively in my direction, “I could step in and get my answers, but all you do is talk, talk, talk! I don’t have the patience for this!”

My breath caught as my magic exploded from within, creating a ward around me and the others. He just gave me an exasperated look. Holding my gaze, he snapped his fingers, and the barrier shattered with such force that I stumbled into Isaac’s arms. In a blink of an eye, my view was obscured by Roman’s back, the tension in it so taut, I was sure that his eyes were glowing red and he was baring his teeth. For him to show such a reaction…

Roman shot forward, but before he could take more than two steps, something yanked him up, sending dirt flying into the air as he was launched into the trees like an arrow. The sound of branches snapping and a predator roaring continued for a few more seconds before it all went quiet.

I returned my attention to the stranger just as he lowered his hand, his eyes trained on me. Isaac tried to push me behind him, but I shoved him back, jumping when Edna screamed.

“It can’t be! You can’t be!”

He ignored her, his focus still on me.

“Where is she?” he asked, drawing closer while his presence filled the air with power that made me feel like a tiny pebble in the path of a giant. “The last thought on her mind before she disappeared was of finding you. So where is she?”

“You’re him. You’re Mathias,” I whispered while horror squeezed my chest even tighter. All the old stories I had heard in my childhood, the cautionary tales that I had never forgotten, all that came rushing in as he stared at me with boredom.

He looked so young, so fragile, so… normal. Yet I could feel it rising in him—the power that could destroy the world.

“Where is Samara?” he demanded again.

I licked my lips, trying to calm down so I wouldn’t show him how truly afraid I was. We had hoped that we’d have the support of the witches, that we’d finally unite everyone in this world against his threat, but if he was here now… we might be too late already.

“I don’t know,” I whispered again, trying desperately to bide for time. I glanced sideways to where Edna was kneeling, her face drained of color and eyes empty of arrogance for once, but when I felt his strange power touch me, I snapped my attention back to him. “We thought she was with you.”

His eyes narrowed while he weighed my words, and then he leisurely turned toward the other witches.

“Do you have her?” he asked nobody in particular. They didn’t dare speak, looking at each other as if waiting for orders. Even the Head Witches were frozen in fear, their magic surrounding them but staying idle. “I don’t have all day. Answer the damn question or—”

Tenzin moved then, her leg sliding over the ground in a circular motion. The earth ruptured, the crevice spreading toward him so fast, even I was too slow to react. A chasm big enough to take two men his size opened, but he remained floating in the air, his expression never changing.

“Move back!” Isaac shouted to his people, and I watched as wolves threw themselves out of the way. One was too slow to react, his hind paws sliding down. I sent my magic to aid him, the spell providing enough platform to step on before he launched himself up and ran to safety.

By the time I turned back, Edna was on her feet and shouting for everyone to attack. One by one, the witches took their positions and despite the fear etched into their faces, they obeyed. The ground shook, and the air cracked with energy and light.

I whipped back just as the shifters rushed to join the fight. I conjured a barrier as fast as I could, separating them from the male witch and throwing them off just when the spells hit him, exploding on impact. With another wave of my hand, a second ward shielded me and the three men at my back.

Holding my breath, I watched the smoke clear.

Despair sank deep into my stomach, but no surprise. Mathias stood in the exact same spot with his eyes closed, nothing on him out of place except for the hair that seemed to have been swept to the side. The earth beneath him was completely gone, leaving a giant crater, charred and crumbling.

“Run,” I whispered, taking a step back. “Ru—”

I never got to finish because Mathias’ eyes snapped open, blinding light shining through them. The runes on his skin looked even starker while the smell of burned flesh made my stomach turn.

He threw his hands up and the air around us tightened, growing so heavy, my legs started to shake. My magic pushed against his with all its might when I noticed the witches started dropping. The younger sank to their knees first, falling face-first into the dirt while the others followed, even Edna and Tenzin.

A look back confirmed the shifters were also down, the immense pressure keeping them immobile no matter how much they howled and whimpered. Malakai was on one knee, keeping Beleth up, but for once it was tension that ruled his face, not the usual gentle smile. Isaac crept on all fours, still in his human form, his hand reaching out as if he was trying to get to me.

A dark silhouette shot out of the trees. Roman’s clothes were torn, blood marring his pale skin, but none of that seemed to matter to him. Just when the vampire’s nails were inches away from Mathias’s back, the witch raised his hand.

“No!” I screamed as Roman was yanked up in the air again, then slammed into the ground so hard, it cracked and he fell under. I channeled more of my energy, fighting against the oppressive force pushing me down, but I barely managed two steps before Mathias appeared before me.

I didn’t bother attacking; I knew I couldn’t even touch him, considering the might he had shown so far. Instead, I raised my chin and stared straight into his eyes.

For a single moment, he seemed content with that. Then he pointed his finger at me before curving it downward. The pressure increased until something in my leg snapped and I screamed as I fell to my knees. The pain blinded me, but I blinked the tears away, bracing myself for his next attack.

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