Page 30 of The Witch and The Blood Oath

To lead is to sacrifice.

I had been selfish enough to keep Walker alive, but that would have to be enough.

I would not be selfish enough to try to hold onto him beyond that.

I would let my cowboy go.

???

Light burned my eyes. I stood on scorched, rocky earth, surrounded by flames. In the smoke-filled sky, the sun burned like it had been scorned. I reached for my magic, but I was exhausted. The longer I stood among the destruction, the heavier I became.

I tried to grab magic from the flames surrounding me, but something was wrong with them. Though they raged, no magic flickered in their depths. I sank to my knees.

A spell hummed in my ears. I didn’t recognize the language of the incantation, but the power behind it caused a cold wave of fear to wash over me, despite the intense heat of the flames. Howls joined the spell like a macabre harmony.

Through the smoke and orange fire, a woman grinned. All I could make out was a flash of teeth and full, red lips.

“He’ll pay,” she whispered. “He must pay.”

The woman cackled madly. Thunder cracked, and hot rain poured from the gray sky. The scent of copper mingled with the smoke, and red liquid coated my skin. As it drenched me, I realized it wasn’t rain at all.

It was blood.

I woke screaming.

“Walker!”

Chapter Nine

Walker

When Cady’s screams filled my ears, I thought I was having a nightmare. I jolted upright in bed then realized I could still hear them, and my magic surged to life. As I raced across the short hall and into her bedroom, I moved quicker than ever before.

Tears poured down her agonized face, and her tiny limbs thrashed against an unseen adversary. I reached out to touch her but hesitated. Magic pumped in my blood, and I didn’t want to electrocute her. I touched the metal door handle again to make sure I was safe then pulled Cadence into my arms.

“Cady-Cat,” I whispered, “wake up. It’s just a dream.”

Sunrise shined through her window. In hopes that the light would wake her, I pulled the white curtains farther open with one hand. She continued to thrash.

“Med…” Cadence whimpered. “Medy…”

Suddenly, she went limp in my arms. Her neck arched awkwardly over my arm, and I clutched her closer.

“Cady,” I whispered.

I placed two fingers against her wrist. Much to my relief, her blood pulsed. Cady surged upright, and the glow of her eyes rivaled the gleaming sun.

For a heartbeat, she looked at me without an ounce of recognition. Then, her face softened, and she reached for a hug. I cradled her in my arms, but relief and dread tangled my stomach. Someone pounded on the door.

Gently, I pulled away from Cady.

“You okay if I get that?” I asked.

Her face was red and puffy, but her tears had finally stopped. She nodded. Slowly, her magic receded from her gaze, and her eyes returned to their normal, vibrant hue of green.

On edge, I trekked to the front door of the apartment and yanked it open. Thea stood in front of me with her fist raised to bang on the door again. She took in my appearance and quickly fixed her gaze back on my face. I realized I stood in nothing but my boxers, and my face grew warm.

“I heard the screams,” she said. “Is everything okay?”

---