Page 86 of Charming Her Monsters

What? You mean a five-minute training session doesn’t make me a super-witch with unlimited powers? All the books and movie montages have lied?

However, I’m proud that I am able to fight off Rob at all. I just don’t know how long I can hold out.

“It’s okay. I got you,” Calder whispers.

My mental shields are crumbling as Calder places his hand on a door I hadn’t seen before near Maxum’s room. He mumbles a chant, and the door opens. It shuts behind us, and we are in total darkness. I can’t see a damned thing, I only know we are moving down stairs from the jostling.

He must figure out that I’m scared because his wings catch fire, not huge flames, but a low burn and enough for me to see.

My last shield is crumbling to Rob’s will. I grip Calder tighter.

The last thing I register is that we are running down an underground tunnel that’s cool and damp. And we keep going deeper.

26

BUNKER

CALDER

Ishould have known Floofer was going to return… with fucking Rob.

We don’t seem to get any breaks.

With Jade in my arms, I race down to our bunker, nicknamed by Maxum asRomeafter their ancient catacombs. I sense she is losing her psychic battle. She’s fighting the spell Rob tried to activate to make her a puppet for his use, and his spells are eating at her fledgling defenses.

I shiver, thinking about what he has done to her in the past. I know all too well how devastating it is to lose one’s power to another.

For Jade, this means he’s forced spirits into her body… into her mind. It’s a disgusting violation that raises the hackles of my protective nature.

“Hang on,” I encourage her, even if she might not hear me. “Keep fighting.”

I risk looking down at her while I race down the steps. She winces with pain. It is no simple thing to fight a spell at all, but one that already has its roots in you. It’s near impossible.

I hate leaving Flint behind, but if anyone can fight them off by himself, it’s Flint or Maxum. They are both naturally resistant to witch and warlock spells—most of them, anyway. I also know he wouldn’t survive emotionally if they took Jade.

Hopefully, Maxum and Arran show up any second to help.

I try to pull on our pack connection, even if it isn’t a formal, magically bonded one. Often in a pinch, such as the time in the alleyway, the others can sense when something is wrong with one of us.

The ground rumbles under my feet. Debris shakes loose from above me, raining down over Jade and me.

Picking up my pace, I worry that the battle above ground might bring the tunnel down upon our heads. We’ll be safer in the reinforced bunker. We just have to reach it.

Another earth rumbling magical blast makes the tunnel quake. Behind us, I hear a collapse. A plume of dust wraps around us as I reach the bunker door, and I quickly chant our pack’s spell to unlock it and rush inside the panic room.

When I see what sits in the center of the room, I jolt to a stop with surprise, bile rising in my throat. I can’t process what I see, not yet. I have to keep my shit together. Ignoring the disturbing sight for now, I slam the door shut behind me and seal it with a warding spell.

I set Jade down on one of the large cots we have in here. She doesn’t seem to register anything around her. She makes small noises as she fights her internal war.

Maintaining my focus on her, I keep my back to the horrid sight in the center of the room. I kneel beside her and hold her hand, wishing I had more magic to help her repel the spell that’s working to take her over.

Suddenly, she goes limp, and I fear she has finally lost her battle.

“Jade?” I call, actually hoping to hear a sassy retort from the witch.

“How may I be of service, master?” she says, her voice is flat and void of emotion.

Fuck! I launch to my feet and pace back and forth beside her cot. I don’t enjoy seeing her like this.

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