Page 22 of His Spellbound Mate

With a wordless cry, Tamzyn cast a containment spell, her magic forming a glowing circle around her and Isolde, trapping them—and, more importantly, their magic—within its bounds. The ground beneath their feet shimmered with the force of the spell, the symbols Tamzyn had drawn glowing with a bright, silvery light.

Isolde’s eyes widened with surprise, then narrowed with fury. She struck out with her magic, trying to break through the containment, but Tamzyn held firm, reinforcing the circle with every ounce of power she could muster.

“Do you really think you can contain me?” Isolde hissed; her voice laced with venom. “I am stronger than you could ever imagine!”

The two witches stood at the center of the clearing, their magic crackling in the air, the tension between them palpable. The containment circle held, but Tamzyn knew it would not last forever. Isolde was powerful, and she would not go down easily.

Isolde’s power surged, and with a wave of her hand, she sent a blast of dark energy toward Tamzyn, the force of it like a battering ram. Tamzyn braced herself, summoning a shield to deflect the attack, but the impact sent her stumbling backward, her breath knocked from her lungs.

Isolde pressed her advantage, unleashing a torrent of magic that crackled with malevolent energy. The containment circle flickered, the symbols wavering as they struggled to hold against the onslaught. Tamzyn gritted her teeth, digging deep into her reserves as she fought to keep the circle intact.

The force of Isolde’s magic was overwhelming, but Tamzyn refused to give in. She pushed back, her magic flaring as she sent a wave of energy crashing into Isolde’s shield. The elder witch staggered, but she quickly recovered, her eyes blazing with fury.

“Stubborn as ever, I see,” Isolde spat, her voice dripping with contempt. “But you’re still just a child playing with powers you don’t understand.”

Tamzyn didn’t respond. She focused all her energy on maintaining the containment circle, on keeping Isolde trapped. But she could feel the strain, the way the magic was starting to slip through her fingers. Isolde was right—she was powerful, more powerful than Tamzyn had remembered.

But Tamzyn wasn’t fighting alone. She could feel Neville’s presence, his unwavering support bolstering her, even as he stood at the edge of the clearing, ready to defend her if needed. She could feel the strength of the pack behind her, their loyalty giving her the resolve to keep fighting. They had no way of knowing that if she fell, the containment spell would collapse in on her and Isolde, ending both of them.

And then, she felt it—the Veil. It was weakening, tearing at the edges of the containment circle, the rift between the worlds growing wider with each passing moment. The air around them shimmered with the energy of the Veil, and Tamzyn could see the darkness bleeding through, a swirling vortex of chaos and destruction.

If the Veil tore completely, it would unleash unspeakable horrors on both the human and supernatural realms. The thought of what could happen if Isolde succeeded sent a surge of desperation through Tamzyn, fueling her determination.

“You won’t win, Isolde,” Tamzyn said, her voice steady despite the fear gnawing at her. “This ends here.”

Isolde’s laughter echoed through the clearing, cold and cruel. “You’re a fool, Tamzyn. You always were.”

The elder witch raised her hands, gathering her magic for a final, devastating attack. The air crackled with energy, the containment circle trembling under the force of Isolde’s power. Tamzyn could feel the circle weakening, the symbols starting to fade as the magic that held them together began to unravel.

But Tamzyn wasn’t done yet. She couldn’t let Isolde win, couldn’t let her tear the Veil and unleash chaos. She reached deep inside herself, drawing on the magic that had always been a part of her, the magic that had been passed down through generations of witches in her family.

She felt it rise within her, a wellspring of power that surged through her veins, stronger and more potent than anything she had ever wielded before. It filled her, giving her strength, giving her the courage to do what needed to be done.

With a cry that echoed through the clearing, Tamzyn unleashed her magic, pouring everything she had into the containment circle. The symbols flared to life, glowing with a blinding light as they surged with power. The ground beneath Isolde’s feet trembled, the air vibrating with the force of the spell.

Isolde’s eyes widened in shock as she felt the containment circle tighten around her, the walls of magic closing in, cutting off her access to the dark energy that had fueled her. She struck out with her magic, but it was too late. The circle held firm, the power of Tamzyn’s spell binding her in place.

“No!” Isolde screamed, her voice filled with fury and desperation. “This cannot be! How can you defeat me?”

“Because the blood and strength of the alpha of the Silver Ridge Pack flows through me.”

“You do not bear his mark.”

“It isn’t always necessary for an alpha to claim his fated mate completely for her to be able to tap into his power.”

“No!”

“Yes! Isolde, I banish you to the darkness that you sought to unleash on the world,” Tamzyn intoned, containing Isolde’s power, cutting her off from the dark magic she had used to wreak havoc. The elder witch was trapped, her magic rendered useless within the confines of the circle.

Suddenly, the shadow creatures appeared. Realizing their acolyte had failed, they descended upon her. Tamzyn dropped the containment field and stepped away. The forces that Isolde had thought to control now had the upper hand and gathered around her, trapping her within their darkness. The old woman held up her arms to try and ward them off, but her efforts were in vain. The shadow creatures collapsed all around her, consuming her as she screamed, and they sank together back into the Earth.

Tamzyn stumbled, and Neville rushed forward, catching her before she could hit the ground. Leaning into his strength, Tamzyn cast a counter spell to the one that had been used for the dark ritual and condemning Isolde to an eternity of nothing. She was banished forever from the Earth as if she had never been.

She had thought that destroying Isolde would cause the Veil to repair itself, but it was still tearing, the rift between the worlds growing wider with each passing moment.

Chapter Twelve

Tamzyn

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