Page 53 of Magic of the Damned

“I don’t care. It’s time for new rules and governing.”

“You don’t like the rules? Fine, let me put you out of your misery.”

Rei’s eyes flicked from Anand to Helena, who had taken up a position next to him. She was dressed in slim beige slacks she’d paired with a burgundy draped crisscross tank that revealed another network of markings twining up her arms, similar to Dominic’s. The magic-restricting marks were still in place. Flawlessly shadowed eyes with thick mascara, liner forming a peak at the end, cherry-red lips, and defined cheeks highlighted by blush. She’d pulled her tresses back in a severe ponytail. She looked as if she was going to an event and not a potentially violent ambush. But this was Helena; maybe she might consider this an event.

Rei swallowed, stepping back, her lips moving ardently and her hands circling around each other. A blast of spherical magic launched from her like a rocket, smashing into Helena and dissipating over her body.

Rei’s breathing became more ragged as she shuffled back a few more steps, more aggressive magic springing from her with no effect. Her face was panic-stricken as she looked at her companions. The vampire was the first to react. A lightning strike movement placed him just inches in front of Helena. A self-satisfied smile traveled over Helena’s lips as he looked down at the stake embedded in his chest. His shock barely registered before the blade she held in the other took off his head. Instead of a body, there was just a splattering of dust piled on the floor and the bloodstained stake.

I swallowed the scream. Rei’s lips furled into a snarl as she made quick slashes in the air. Books flew from the shelves like a whirlwind, whipping around the room and striking at Helena and Anand, who used their weapons to slash and hit them. Another slash of Rei’s finger, and the pages of the books ignited. Fire blazed, books launched, the strain of the effort heavy on Rei’s face.

The room was pure chaos at Rei’s hand as Anand and Helena dealt with the flaming books being hurled in their direction and chairs being magically flung at them.

“Animal,” was all I blurted as one of the shifters morphed into a bear without breaking stride. Seeing the quick change from human to beast was shocking, no matter how many times I witnessed it. The bear pinned Anand to the ground. Anand delivered blows hard enough to make the animal huff and growl in pain.

Too preoccupied with fighting off the flaming books and warding off flying furniture, Helena couldn’t help Anand or counterattack.

The supernatural that I suspected was a witch cupped his hand, and a whirl of white, blue, and black coalesced. His brow furrowed as he concentrated, making it bigger. As black overtook the sphere, the room clouded over. His face showed strain as he directed the sphere over Helena. She gasped for breath, her color waning. The witch had found a workaround by affecting the environment.

Even feet away from Helena, I could feel the results of the oxygen-removing spell. She clawed at her throat. I moved back toward the wall, keeping my distance from the magic. I needed to distract the witch, break his concentration. Grabbing one of the few items still intact, a heavy Dungeons and Dragons light, shaped like a die, I hurled it at the witch, hitting him on the side of his arm.

The oxygen-siphoning sphere shuddered a few feet away from Helena, but not far enough to prevent its effect. The heavy mug I lobbed at him next hit a diaphanous field, rebounded, and pitched into my hip, sending me stumbling back. Recovering with a groan, I looked for something that could pierce the field and found Rei on the other side of the room providing protection for the oxygen-siphoning witch. She shook her head, a silent request for me to stay put. She wouldn’t kill me—that was some comfort—but the throb in my hip was proof she would hurt me.

The shimmering field that covered the witch flickered and dropped, and the mug I hurled smashed into the side of the witch’s face. He stumbled to the side, and the sphere shuddered then vanished. Running out of objects heavy enough to throw, I searched for more items and found the source of the breach in Rei’s field.

Dominic.

He had pulled Rei against his chest and held a claw at her jugular. I turned back to find Helena standing over the manacle-subdued, oxygen-siphoning witch. There was a naked man where moments ago a bear was fighting Anand. The man wasn’t moving, not even a faint rise and fall of his chest.

Rei’s eyes were calculating, glancing at the claw at her throat then cutting to the two remaining allies in the room, who were doing their own assessment.

Amid all the violence and pandemonium, it was hard not to think of Cameron. The damage was extensive, with areas empty of books, partially burned books strewn throughout the store, the registers on the floor, and several bookshelves smashed.

Her store was in shambles. She’d lose income. How would the destruction be explained? The cameras? Was this being seen on her phone real-time? How would they handle her knowledge of them?

Dominic’s expression was stoic as his eyes met mine. I wasn’t sure if it was his presence or tempered anger that had increased the room temperature by several degrees.

One of the shifters watched Dominic as he took in the damage.

“Is this what you all want?” Dominic asked, directing his attention to all the Awakeners in the room.

“No, but it seems to be what you want,” the lone shifter growled. I knew the tell now; he was about to shift.

“You do it and I’ll kill Rei,” Dominic told him. “Then my sister will kill you and this little stunt will be for naught.”

More evaluation took place. I felt sure they were speculating whether this cause was worth their life. They’d lost two already with nothing to show for it.

“Helena.” Dominic nodded at her and she moved aside, allowing the magically neutered witch to stand.

Dominic released Rei, I assumed as a sign of good faith or to show that she was not a threat to him. He hadn’t restricted her magic.

“Has there been any contact between Roman, Celeste, or Vadim?” He directed the question to everyone in the room.

Their jaws clenched in a mutual demonstration of allegiance. Dominic inched in Rei’s direction.

With ire, she squared her shoulders and met his gaze. “You won’t get any information from me. Are you afraid you’ll feel the sting of Roman’s claws, or is it Celeste’s magic that you fear? You have no immunity to it, do you? I hope it’s Roman’s claws that get you both.” She snapped her head in Helena’s direction.

The tight air of contention filled the room. She’d struck a nerve—pointed out their weakness.

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