Page 79 of Midnight Witch

Mae grabbed her shoulders. “Gloria!”

The witch flinched. She blinked and focused on them.

Resolve brought some color back to her face. “Give me that stone!”

Nikolai hastily handed her the item. Gloria closed her hands around it. Magic flared between her palms. Nikolai drew a sharp breath when she parted them.

Blue fire traced out the faded runes once more.

“Use it to find Anya’s magic!” She gave the stone to him and looked at Mae. “The eagle’s core should help you too!”

Sable crooned worriedly on Mae’s shoulder.

Mae nodded and swallowed. Regret darkened her face. “I’m sorry we blew your cover.”

Gloria gazed at the Dark Council and Barquiel’s monsters.

“It was bound to happen one day.” Blue flames lit her pupils as she met Mae’s worried gaze. “I’m glad I managed to help you in the end, my queen. Like I said before, I won’t go down without a fight.” She climbed to her feet and dusted herself off, her cat’s pupils glowing at her side. “You need to go with them,” she told Cortes briskly. “Anya will be in a weakened state. Your magic can help her.”

Cortes dipped his head solemnly.

“I’ll come with you,” Vlad said in a tone that would brook no opposition. “Oscar must be at that church. It’s going to take more than the three of you to defeat him and his army.”

Nikolai’s chest tightened as he met the incubus’s gaze. “Thanks.”

Vlad lowered his brows. “Don’t thank me yet.”

CHAPTER32

Mae’s heartpounded as the dizzying effects ofTransmigratefaded, along with the sounds of the battle they had left behind. Whiteness filled her vision.

It took a moment to make out the rivers of pale magic pouring into the dazzling space around them.

Cortes twisted around slowly. “This is the nexus?”

“Yeah,” Vlad muttered.

A worried sound escaped Popo. He shuffled closer to Cortes. “Did we die?”

“No.” Brimstone’s breath ruffled his feathers. “We are in a place filled with Ran Soyun’s magic.”

They followed Nikolai as he headed briskly across the limitless space. They were somewhere outside Pittsburgh still.

Remorse tightened Mae’s throat when she thought of Violet and the others.

“I hope they’re okay,” she mumbled.

Vlad glanced at her. “They wouldn’t have offered to stay behind if they didn’t think they could handle things.” His tone hardened. “Besides, Barquiel is bound to return to Oscar’s side when he realizes what we’re up to.”

Hellreaver hummed next to her.He’s right, my witch.

Nikolai stopped and frowned at the ground. “This should do.”

He squatted, took out the stone Gloria had infused with her magic, and pressed it against the nexus.

Mae crouched beside him and lifted Sable off her shoulder. “How do we do this?”

A muscle jumped in his jawline as he met her gaze. “I’ll need you to connect my powers to her core, like you did before.”

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