Page 95 of Sticks and Stones and Broken Bones

I stood on my tiptoes, whispered an apology, and then claimed his mouth with mine before I could change my mind. My magic surged forwards, wrapping around his heart, and slowing it right down. Apollo sagged against me and I followed him down to the ground, laying him out comfortably. He looked so peaceful and I pressed a soft kiss to his mouth. He said my name on a soft exhale and it nearly broke me. That even unconscious he was still pleading with me to stay.

Corvus eyed me disapprovingly from his perch but he hadn’t interfered. Perhaps he approved.

“Watch over him, Corvus. And thank you. For everything.”

He gave me a little dip of his head. “Good luck.”

Boy, was I going to fucking need that. I picked up the bag Apollo had stashed in his winter cabin and checked through the contents. Seemed to be a pretty standard go-bag but I pulled out all the knives and slotted them into my belt. Apollo had had all sorts in that house, and I was grateful I wasn’t stood here in sleep shorts and a hoody. The boots were a little too big but I managed to find some leggings and a jumper that fit. All in black of course. It seemed to be my go to colour at the moment. If I survived this, I was going to change that.

I gave myself one final check, and then I stepped out of the woods and walked towards the edge of the lake.

My coven was stood along the water’s edge in a semicircle , a soft chant humming from their lips. It vibrated through the air, and it felt like static brushing my skin.

My grandmother stood in the shallow depths where the light of the moon hit the water. She looked magnificent. Her white hair glowing in the moonlight, her robes dancing slowly in the ebb and flow of the tide. The magic was strong here and it made my own rise up in answer to its call.

“Hello, Raevyn. Seems you can follow instructions after all.”

My instinct to cower was strong but I was different than the little girl she’d sacrificed. I’d done so much since arriving in the Underworld. I’d faced the God of Fear, fought a Vampire King and found a power I never thought I’d harness. But more than that, I’d found a home and a family. It was because of them that I was here, to protect them. I knew I was doing the right thing, for them and for me. I may have started my life in the Underworld wanting nothing but revenge but now, I was so far from that. I was on my way to making peace with the role my mother played in my upbringing and I was certainly on my way to making peace with who I was and my grandmother wasn’t going to take that from me.

I stepped into the water and walked towards my grandmother. “I’m here. Let’s get this done.”

Her smile twisted her face with a cruelty that was all too familiar. “Keen to give it all up?”

“No. Just keen to be done with you.”

“Oh, Raevyn, it's adorable that you think this will be the end. This is only the beginning.”

A shard as cold as ice pierced my heart and my knees crumpled beneath me. The sound of the coven intensified and an invisible force pulled my arms wide, stretching them as if they were being pulled from their sockets. A scream was wrenched from my throat as I fought against the hold.

Loud wails and cries filled the air as the coven chanted over and over again, their words holding me in place. My grandmother strode towards me, her hair whipping in the wind, her hands held aloft as she chanted to the moon.

Then she slammed her hand to my forehead and the world erupted into pain.

Chapter Forty-Three

Rook

Ifelt her pain as her power was stripped from her and my heart clenched. I needed to be there. With her. I needed to save her. I needed to—

“Keep it together, baby boy.” Korbin cupped my face and rested his forehead against mine. “I know you want to be there, and we will be, but I need you to focus on here and now.”

“Okay.” I took a deep breath and swallowed my rage, pulling myself together and getting my head in the game. “What’s the plan?”

Nox twirled his blade between his fingers. “Go in, kill everyone, save Raevyn.”

Deimos grinned and pointed to Nox. “Yes. I like that plan.”

“All in favour?” Nox asked, raising his hand.

“Wait,” Korbin said, interrupting what I thought was a pretty good plan. “What if there’s a trap or—”

“Love,” I said, squeezing his hand. “Sometimes we just need to go in, guns blazing, and hope for the best.”

“Besides, we’ve been in worse situations,” Nox said with a shrug of his shoulders.

“Really?” I drawled.

“Nah, just felt like the right thing to say. Come on. Let’s go kill some witches.” Then he ran off with a spring in his step and tune on his lips. Fucking psycho.

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