Page 23 of Magic Unrestrained

Savannah managed a grim smile, her eyes locked on the entrance. “Add that to the list of things to fix once this is over.”

“Assuming there’s an ‘after’ to look forward to,” he replied, his gaze cutting toward her, softening for just a moment.

She reached out, her hand brushing against his, grounding them both in the connection that had grown between them. “There will be,” she said, her voice steady despite the storm raging around them. “There has to be. I’m not done with you yet.”

With that, they moved forward, slipping through the partially open doors and into the belly of the water treatment plant. The space was massive, industrial, with steel beams crisscrossing overhead and long, winding pipes running along the walls. The steady hum of machinery filled the air, but beneath it all, Savannah could hear the faint chanting of Vesper’s ritual, the words laced with dark power.

Her pulse quickened as they navigated the plant, the dark energy growing stronger with every step. They could feel the ritual was nearing its completion, and they were running out of time. The thought of what would happen if they didn’t stop Vesper now made her chest tighten with fear.

As they rounded a corner, the full scale of the situation became clear. Madame Vesper stood at the center of the room, her arms raised high, her voice booming with incantations that reverberated through the walls. Around her, a horde of demons and vampires snarled and paced, their eyes glowing with malevolent hunger. The air shimmered with dark magic, the energy swirling like a vortex, pulling everything toward the ritual site.

“There she is,” Gage growled, his body tensing beside her. “This ends now.”

Savannah nodded, steeling herself as she stepped forward. But before they could charge into the fray, a sudden, sharp pain lanced through her skull, forcing her to stagger back. Her vision blurred for a moment, and she pressed a hand to her temple, trying to focus.

“What the hell…?” she muttered, glancing at Gage. He, too, had frozen, his brow furrowed in confusion as if something was pulling at him, dragging his attention away from the task at hand.

And then she felt it—a presence, cold and familiar. Thornheart.

Savannah’s breath hitched as the realization struck her. Thornheart wasn’t just here in spirit—he was actively interfering, using his fae magic to disrupt their focus, to throw off their coordination. The tendrils of his power slithered through the air, subtle but insidious, clouding their minds and keeping them from fighting at full strength.

“Thornheart,” Savannah spat, her hand tightening around her dagger. “That bastard’s trying to sabotage us.”

Gage snarled, his wolf-shifter instincts bristling at the interference. “Let me at him.”

“No,” Savannah said, grabbing his arm to stop him. “We need to deal with Vesper first. Thornheart will get what’s coming tohim, but not right now. Let him crawl back into whatever hole it is he likes to hide. He can wait, stopping the ritual can’t.”

Gage nodded, though his jaw was tight with fury. “Right. Let’s finish this.”

They charged forward to challenge Vesper whose demonic horde was swirling around her. The demons roared as they sensed the intruders, their claws flashing as they launched themselves at Savannah and Gage.

The fight was immediate and brutal.

Savannah moved like water, her body fluid and graceful as she dodged the demons’ attacks, her dagger flashing as she struck back with deadly precision. She called on her fae magic, summoning water from the pipes that ran along the walls, twisting it into sharp, icy blades that she sent flying toward the demons. The creatures howled as the water sliced through them, their bodies disintegrating into ash.

Beside her, Gage was a force of raw power, his wolf-shifter strength combining with the dark energy of his demon half. His claws tore through the demons with ease, his body moving with a predatory grace that sent shivers down Savannah’s spine. But even as he fought, she could see the struggle in his eyes—the battle he waged not just against the demons, but against the beast inside him.

Vesper watched from the center of the ritual; her eyes gleaming with madness as she continued her incantations. The air crackled with energy, and Savannah could feel the pull of the dark magic growing stronger, threatening to tear the very fabric of the city apart.

“We’re running out of time!” Savannah shouted over the chaos, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she dispatched another demon.

“I know!” Gage growled; his voice rough with effort.

As they fought, Savannah felt something shift inside her—a realization, a clarity that cut through the fog of battle. They couldn’t win this fight by sheer force alone. Vesper’s power was too great, her dark energy too strong. They had to do something more. Something bigger.

And then she knew.

“Gage,” she called, her voice steady despite the chaos around them. “We need to stop fighting.”

Gage blinked, his claws dripping with blood as he turned to her, confusion flickering in his eyes. “What?”

“We can’t just fight them off,” Savannah said, her voice urgent. “Vesper’s power is too strong. We have to embrace who we are—both of us. It’s the only way to stop this.”

Gage’s brow furrowed, but he didn’t hesitate. “What do you mean?”

Savannah swallowed hard, her heart pounding as she met his gaze. “You’ve been holding back, trying to keep your demon half in check. Sometimes I try to do the same with my fae magic. But we can’t win like this. We have to embrace both sides of ourselves—your wolf and your demon, my human heart and fae magic. It’s the only way to break Vesper’s hold.”

Gage stared at her for a moment, the weight of her words sinking in. Then, slowly, he nodded. “All right. Let’s do it.”

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