Page 179 of Blue Moon Mistress

I hold it up, displayed on my palm. A warning, even though there is no going back now.

“You can’t cheat.” I see the moment she understands.

She lunges for me a moment after I throw it, and the burning ball of magic tears straight through her paper moon, lighting the brittle sphere on fire.

It disappears in a puff, and the night goes deathly still for a moment before—like a sonic blast—the magic that had funneled into Aphrodite bursts from her, throwing me back.

I hit the ground hard, not even the thick layer of crunchy leaves and needles saved me from having the wind knocked out of me.

Johnny and Thomas pull me back, and all five of us huddle together, watching as Aphrodite struggles to get back to her feet.

She stumbles like a drunk, but from her wide eyes, I know she knows what’s coming.

“Every spell has consequences.” I whisper the words into the too loud night.

The glowing orb that had pulled from everyone but her had shrunk down with that outburst of power… and now, she was the only one left to feed it.

And I don’t want to see it. I bury my face in Chase’s chest, trying to block out the screams as Aphrodite has the life sucked out of her.

“No!” The cry is as startling as the woman who runs past us.

Martha Lourdes rushes to her daughter, but the moment she touches her, Martha falls into the path of the spell too.

Together they scream… writhing.

Contorting.

They are drained by Aphrodite’s magic until there’s nothing left of them.

That ball of power bursts like a soapy bubble and I cling tightly to my men.

The silence falls heavy as a boulder on us.

“We’re not alone,” Joshua’s words aren’t whispered. He doesn’t care that the coven knows he’s just warned me. And I don’t care either.

I hear the sharp crunch of leaves and someone running, but it isn’t my mother who slides to a stop in front of us, it’s Elaria.

“Are you alright?”

She pushes my hair back from my face, and I’m glad it’s her. Because she doesn’t care that the guys haven’t moved away. And I don’t feel like I need to ask them.

“I’ve been better, but I’ve also been worse.”

“I haven’t,” Chase says lowly from behind me.

I don’t imagine any of them feel like themselves right now.

Before I can make them any promises or give them any reassurances, my mother stops beside us.

Unlike Elaria, she’s wearing a cloak and its hem drags through the leaves and needles. “I told you you could handle this on your own.”

“I shouldn’t have had to.”

Renée looks down at us from the other side. “You’re right. We were warned and we messed up. We’ll try to do better if there’s a next time.”

But I don’t think she means it. And from the look on Elaria’s face, I don’t think she does either.

“Are you able to stand?” My mother asks.

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