Page 78 of Cursed

A blast of water smashes into another faerie. Repeatedly, until he can no longer hold on with the onslaught and he needs to breathe. His tiny delicate wings are also damaged, and he spins to the ground.

Finally, the ward sputters like a dying car.

Rourke launches off the iron gate and unleashes a funnel of dragonfire at the mages on the ground. The army of faeries disperses into the surrounding foliage now that their job is done. Several little ones risk themselves to retrieve their fallen friends.

As soon as they are all hidden, Rourke banks toward Branden and me as we race out from the trees to meet him. He snatches us up in his giant taloned paws and flies over the wall.

My stomach lurches a bit since I’ve never flown before. I imagine this is much like a rollercoaster ride. He sets us down.

Branden drops Rourke’s pants on the ground next to him in preparation for his shift.

The vamp and I both rush toward the asylum’s back door. He looks ready to smash down the iron-plated monstrosity, but I yell at him to stop.

I call my power, and the earth responds instantaneously, as if it had been anticipating my call. Maybe it was. A root shoots up from the ground, carrying a boulder two feet in diameter. It strikes against the door, and it flies off its hinges after four strikes.

Thank the Goddess that Branden didn’t need to break his body against it or subject himself to iron poisoning.

Telepathically, I send my appreciation to the lands and follow Branden as he enters the building.

It’s dark. And it sends chills up my spine. But maybe that’s from all the negative energy weighing this place down. Centuries of the criminally ill, and more recently, tortured and murdered souls, haunt this building. I cannot see them as a psychic does, a human witch, but I can sense the ghosts stuck here.

Even if I’d want to feel my mom’s love brush over my heart again, I don’t think I would be able to handle it right now.

An eerie roar of fire sounds behind me. Rourke. Heat washes over my back.

The guards are coming at him. I hope he can keep them occupied while we find Shay.

In front of us, a mage appears from around the corner, throwing a shockwave at us.

I fly back and crash into the wall.

With lightning speed, Branden ducks down, hitting the ground flat, avoiding the blast. Then, from his position flat on the ground, he launches straight up and snaps the mage’s neck. Not missing a beat, he strolls on without a backward glance, as if he didn’t just casually end someone’s life.

I step over the supe and, with the unnatural angle of his head, confirm that he’s no longer living.

For no apparent reason, Branden tenses and comes to a stop. He snarls, “My father’s here.”

“Okay?” I hiss. “So?” Not sure why he’s surprised by this. I thought he was as much a scoundrel as the rest of my coven’s parents.

“I didn’t realize he was part of this.” He adjusts his shoulders and clenches his fists as if he were about to throw punches. “So hedidsacrifice my sister.He knew.”

“I’m sorry for that. But let’s stay focused. For Shay? For the others?”

He doesn’t respond except to storm forward. I’ll take that as a yes… for now. This has gone beyond a rescue mission for Branden. Now, this is also arevengemission for him.

But I can’t be caught up in that. I have a responsibility to my dyad… to my coven, first. If we find them, then I’m leaving.

Branden is his own person, but hopefully, he will come with us instead of running into danger to quench his thirst for vengeance.

The way he moves with deadly grace makes me glad he’s on my side. The killer instincts he was raised to have radiate off him now.

Bare feet slap the tiled flooring behind me, and when I turn, I’m relieved to see it’s Rourke. But he looks a bit pale.

“You okay?” I ask, worried that the flower tea made him ill.

“Yeah, I guess. I’ve just never had to…” His voice trails off from its already quiet volume, but I realize what he means without him saying it. He’s never had to hurt someone like that—with his power. He has killed the guards.

“If it makes you feel better, they probably deserved it,” I offer.

---