Page 80 of Dawn Unearthed

Faith stood at the other end of the clearing, having moved back to get out of the way of a blow. Behind her, two dark shapes formed, their bodies solid. Two revenants with familiar faces stared toward the center of the circle. My heart shattered. Trace looked at us, his eyes vacant, blood still covering his chest. Alden stared, his neck covered in dripping blood, his eyes dark, also vacant.

She had made revenants of Rome’s brothers. I couldn’t breathe. I screamed, and Rome roared. Everything felt as if it were fragmenting around us. I couldn’t believe this was actually happening.

“She will not get away with this, not this kind of evil. She dies. Tonight.”

I hoped Rome’s words were true.

We moved then, Jaxton initially overhead until he shifted back to his human form. He stood there naked and picked up a fallen dagger, and we all went at Faith. The necromancer held up her hands, and the revenants moved forward, some with swords, some with shorter blades. She pulled the water from the ground and the pond, creating at least a hundred daggers, maybe more.

“You’re so weak. If only you had my power, understood what I do, you would win. You are nothing. And now, you will understand that.” She shoved many of the daggers forward. Not all, but enough. People screamed as the blades met their marks. I ducked out of the way of one and shouted as Rome pulled a second out of his arm, tossed it to the ground, and kept going.

Another dozen ice daggers came out of the air, and we moved, Laurel using her sword to deflect them.

“We need to stop Faith. We stop her; we stop all of this,” Rowen said.

“Tell me what to do,” I replied.

Ash lifted his chin. “Clasp hands and use the magic. Repeat after me.”

Before I could, another dagger came forward, and Rome let out a shout as he tossed himself in front of me. The blade sliced into his collarbone, another embedded itself in his chest. I cried out, using my water magic to melt the ice and pull it from his flesh. He groaned, blood seeping, but he shook it off. “I’m fine.”

“No, you aren’t,” I said.

Then the Trace and Alden revenants were there, and nothing made sense anymore.

“Let me do this,” Laurel said.

Rome shook his head. “No, this is mine.”

I moved forward, and I knew it was my responsibility, as well. I would not let my mate do this alone. No matter the cost, no matter the pain. When Alden moved forward, I used my ice and my water, sliding a dagger home through his neck. He fell to his knees, gone once more.

Rome growled and looked at me, reaching out. I thought he would hold me or do something, but instead, he pushed me out of the way as Trace lunged. One of Trace’s claws sliced my arm, and I cried out at the pain. I looked down, saw the blood pouring, but then I saw my mate. I wanted to do something, wanted to call out, but there was nothing Icoulddo. Instead, I watched as my mate, the man I loved, placed his hands around his brother’s neck and twisted. Trace fell to his knees, his mouth open, and I swore I saw something there for a second. Hope? A thank you?

I didn’t know, but I was bleeding, and so was Rome, and Trace and Alden were gone once again.

I could barely keep up.

Laurel tugged at me, and we moved towards the others. Faith was there, lobbing more ice daggers, as well as directing her revenants.

She was so powerful. She was sacrificing something, but none of us could get close.

“The spell. We need the spell.”

Rome threw himself in front of me again, taking another hit, and I growled. “Stop it. I can take care of myself.”

“Use the spell. Let me protect you.”

I knew he was right. I had to. I had to let him. Because I would protect him. I was going to save everyone. I gripped Laurel’s and Rowen’s hands. Rowen gripped Ash’s. And we chanted.

“Earth, air, water, fire, seek the one that we desire. Stop this evil, purge this blight, banish this witch to darkest night. Lord and Lady, ancestors, too, lend us your strength for what we must do. Take this witch so we may be free. This is our will, so mote it be!”

I screamed, water and fire and earth and air searing through me as I threw back my head, and magic poured out of my mouth. Blood began trickling from my nose, but I didn’t reach up to wipe it away. There was so much power, so much more than I’d ever felt or used before. It was almost too much. I didn’t know what I was supposed to do. Instinctively, I pushed it towards Faith, and I knew the others did the same. I had to trust in my coven.

Because there was nothing else Icoulddo.

Ash shouted, a guttural scream that echoed in my mind. Laurel stood firm, despite the blood trickling out of her ear.

She scared me the most. My hand burned, but I didn’t let go. She was burning from the inside out, her entire body shaking. I knew this was too much for her. We had asked too much of her. But I couldn’t end the spell early. We had to stop Faith.

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