Page 72 of Grave Revelations

They called to the sky, and it answered.

Swirling dark clouds moved in, pulling moisture from the sea and weighing them down before they trudged away, heavy with hail and ice. The witches called one after another, sending the clouds across the land to rain down on the unsuspecting humans.

Someone tipped forward from exhaustion, falling into the thrashing waves below. It wasn’t one of the witches from her coven, but she mourned the loss nonetheless. A new witch moved into the empty space, taking up the chant.

None of her sisters had fallen yet. Though they had more water magic among them than any other coven, they were also some of the strongest.

Her mother stood at their center, arms raised overhead.

In a cave mouth several feet up the mountain, another group of witches stood, whipping wind into cyclones of frigid air, sending the clouds in whichever direction they chose. The air witches were different; they weren’t night-beings. Though their brown, green, and blue eyes were clouded in white, seeing nothing, they were still alive.

Elizabeth had found some new way to control them that didn’t taint their gift.

When they had awoken in the cave with her, she’d panicked, wondering if she could truly fight them if they tried to capture her again. But the moment passed as they had formed single-file lines and, like zombies, marched out of the room in various directions.

Only one had remained behind: Helena. She hadn’t known what it meant at the time, but now she understood. All witches with water abilities went to the tomb she now clung beside, filing into rows of twenty. They waited their turn, stepping forward when someone fell.

Witches with fire magic filed into a room deep within the caves, a strange mix of night-beings and new creatures. Forming circles of ten, they spread out in a vast underground chamber and held hands, power sharing. They released each other and directed their palms to the floor, chanting to the earth.

Sophia had watched them in confusion until small geysers erupted from the center of their circles. Hot volcanic fumes sifted from the small holes as trickles of molten lava spewed from the ground.

Not spying Cassia, the only fire-wielding witch in her coven, she moved farther into the caves, finding more rooms full of creatures, most standing idly, staring at nothing or eyes closed—awaiting some yet undelivered command.

There had only been real trouble once, when someone more alive than the others had come through carrying buckets of water, followed by several others carrying plastic coolers. Sophia had ducked into a dark space against the wall until they passed.

When she reached the alcove where most of her coven was, she’d found no way to get to them without risking being seen other than to scale the outside cliff walls. It had gone well until the air witches began their work.

Now, she was stuck, clinging to the sheer rock wall with all her new strength, hoping the gales would subside enough for her to climb back to safety soon. Her fingers ached and her nails were chipped and broken where she’d lost her hold several times.

As if her whispered prayer was answered, the whipping wind calmed.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she slid along the wall, away from her sisters.

Sophia ducked into the alcove, sliding into the shadows. Her fingers trembled, and there was a slight tremor in her back. It had been a few days since she’d eaten proper food, but the life-giving essence she’d stolen from Rebecca still thrummed through her.

Resting her head against the rock, she took a few deep breaths.

Massive waves crashing against the rock wall boomed outside, the sound growing louder. She hopped to her feet, running to the edge of the cave. An enormous wave broke below her, foaming as it slithered back into turbulent water.

The next wave that barreled for her reached higher, nearly lapping at her toes. But before it hit rock, it froze in mid-air, forming sharp spikes at its tips.

Her sisters were out of sight, but she recognized this new twisted magic. Only an exceptionally powerful water witch—gifts twisted as hers had been—could have wrestled such a powerful force into submission.

Maria Kavraz.

Chapter 44

Rebecca

“There are people in the house,” Rebecca said, looking between Azazel and Jophiel. The pair exchanged looks, and in a blink, Azazel was gone.

Cold, invisible fingers crawled over her skin. He was still watching the house. Watching her. Rebecca’s mind went back to Azazel running the brush through her hair; it was such an intimate moment. Her stomach churned. At least that had been in her room where no cameras could see.

Come outside.

The thought flickered through her mind.

“Az wants us to go outside,” she said.

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