Page 56 of Their Fated Magic

“Do our people know? Do they know what a monster you are?”

For the first time, I think of my people and the way they reacted to her orders. To her punishments. They were rarely happy to be part of it. Instead, they’d flinch. They’d look away. Even the ones that were happy to see her always had an edge of nervousness. Were they always just scared of my mother too?

“I may be a monster, but I’m also a hero. A hero to the fucking witches! The woman to finally take down the shifters. Now, burn!” my mother yells.

I jump to one side as fire shoots out at me. It grazes my shoulder, and I fight the urge to scream as it burns into my flesh. Instead, I scramble away from the edge of the cliff, barely avoiding getting burned again as she sends more fire at me.

But I can’t keep this up forever. My mother’s spells are powerful, and she is relentless. She’s a warrior, even if she’s a shitty person.

I hear noise. My men’s whimpering. Sounds of pain. They’re outnumbered against powerful Battle Witches. I have to do something. I have to have faith.

Circling slowly around, my mother matches my movements, even though she looks amused rather than nervous. I keep going until I get her where I want her, and then I stop, staring at the cocky look on her face.

Lifting a hand, I point it at my mom. “You were a terrible mother. I deserved better than you.”

She throws her head back and laughs. “Look at you. What are you going to do, grow a flower? Twist some metal? You really think you can defeat me with your magic?” She emphasizes the word “magic” and laughs again. Like the idea of me doing magic is ridiculous.

But I can do magic. I am a good witch. I am… good.

Every insult she’s ever thrown my way comes to mind. Every beating. Every time she embarrassed me in front of the coven. Every time she did worse in private.

I glance at her necklace. “Tighten,” I whisper, feeling the word vibrate with power.

My mother’s eyes grow wide with terror. The chain tightens around her neck until blood begins to run from it. A lot of blood. It slides down her flesh and soaks her clothes. She claws at her neck, her expression one of horror, as she stumbles back wildly. But it does no good.

“Slice,” I whisper, feeling the metal already lodged deeply in her neck.

A vacant look passes over her face, and her head begins to slide off her body as she falls off the edge of the cliff, her hair and clothes billowing in the wind as she disappears from sight. I rush to the cliff and look over, seeing nothing but the clouds and the air.

“I guess you were wrong. I could defeat you with my magic,” I say into the silence.

TWENTY-EIGHT

Tara

I rush to my men, ignoring the pain in my shoulder. They need me right now. Pictures of them hurt by the witches rush in my mind, making it hard to catch my breath.

My heart races as I explode into the middle of their battle. They’re all hurt, bloodied, and torn up, but I’m just grateful they’re alive. Battle Magic is dark and twisted, and these women are done playing with them.

“My mom is dead!” I shout. “I’m queen. If you stop fighting now, I’ll let you go. You can just walk away.”

I don’t know what I expected, but the fact that nothing changes isn’t as surprising as it maybe should have been. These women have been my mother’s weapons for too long. They don’t know any other way of life.

A witch points her finger at Arlys, ready to send a spell his way. Without hesitation, I point at her. “Tree,” I command, and a small, gnarled tree with black leaves sprouts where she stood.

I feel sick, but I turn away from the tree. Rinan is trying to run away, but long scratches are appearing on his body with every step he takes. He whines loudly as blood trickles down his body. But he can’t escape the pain.

My gaze moves around until I spot her, then I glare at the witch who is hurting him. She turns to me, ready to send a spell my way, but I’m faster. I’m fighting for my men rather than a wicked curse.

”Melt.”

In seconds, her body starts oozing black liquid as she screams until she’s nothing but a puddle on the ground. I swallow, bile rising in the back of my throat, but I focus my attention on the next witch, who has finally noticed what I’m doing.

“You can’t have Battle Magic. It’s impossible,” she says.

Without hesitation, I smile. “I guess I’ve finally become what my mother always wanted.”

Rolling out of the way of her spell, I shout, “Mouse!”

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