Page 177 of Blue Moon Mistress

The sphere flares, as if surrounded by a bright, red, glowing ball of energy and tendrils shoot from it stabbing straight into the center of the guys’ chests. The acolytes’ eyes go wide as they,too, are pierced by the energy and it starts to pull from them. If I didn’t know better, I’d have thought I had double vision as part of them shifts, their spirits pulled forward by the magic that has already started to drain them of their power.

An eighth tendril reaches toward the fake moon, not quite reaching and a ninth… The energy and power leached from her seven victims flows into Aphrodite’s outstretched palm.

She isn’t watching them. Her focus is on the altar and I see a piece of paper flutter beneath the rock holding it down.

She’sreadingthe spell.

I clutch the bottle in my hand more tightly and pray that she doesn’t mess any of the words up.

But as I creep forward, I see something I should have suspected.

Asecondline.

This is the actual protection, and it’s not Aphrodite’s.

I can feel the power radiating from it and I’ve grown accustomed to the feel of hers. That makes me spare a moment to look at the women under her control. I’ve no idea which witch is stronger, and imagine she doesn’t either.

But this line isn’t meant to keep anyone out. It’s meant to keepthemin.

I step over that line and Aphrodite doesn’t look up, but the witch furthest from me does. I don’t need to guess whose spell it was.

I don’t know if it’s because she’s too focused, or if it’s because she thinks I’m not a threat now that it’s started. Whatever the reason, I’m grateful.

I can’t sever anyone from the spell yet. But I can take them from her.

There’s a rock behind Johnny that should work…

Pressing the bottle of oil and herbs to my lips, I whisper a single spelled word:sparge.

And then toss it like a Molotov cocktail.

The bottle shatters against the rock and the potion splatters across their backs.

I see the moment the spell that binds them to her will breaks. But their hands and legs are still tied.

Thomas looks at me, sharply and shakes his head. But I’m not going to leave them to this. I wouldn’t, even if this spelldidn’thold the possibility of killing more than just the seven of them.

The residual potion hit two of the three acolytes. They blink as if they’ve just woken up from a very disorienting dream. But the other’s eyes are locked on the woman draining her life.

She’ll have to be dealt with later.

I don’t have the right tools to stop this spell. And I can’t simply take Aphrodite out without causing a potentially deadly blowback of her spell…

I don’t have options.

Any closer, and the sphere will take hold of me as well.

But if my grandmother has proven anything tonight. It’s that sometimes, protecting others means sacrificing yourself.

Thirty-Eight

All it takes isa single step forward and the spell latches onto me. That tendril of power stabs through my chest and a deep, hollow ache settles into my bones.

There is no finesse when I hurl choice words at the seven others to break their connection to the spell.

The next words I cast break through the two barriers like a brick through plate glass.

And then, the power drain knocks me to my knees.

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