Page 61 of Witch Queen

“On the day the world becomes shrouded in shadows,” Isabelle quoted numbly beside the sorcerer.

Violet’s mouth set in a determined line. “She said to get as many magic users as we can to New York in the next twenty-four hours. That the city must not fall.”

“And if it does?” Marlena asked in a harrowed voice.

“Then all will be lost.” Miles’s expression was deadlier than Bryony ever recalled seeing it. “Because it’s not just magic users Vedran will slaughter in his attempt to become a God. He will kill every living thing from here to the West Coast.”

CHAPTERTWENTY-ONE

A disturbanceoutside the office had everyone tensing and drawing on their magic. Jared snatched the switchblade from his ankle strap and unleashed his divine sword.

The door clattered open ahead of a noisy group of witches.

Bryony blinked before sagging at the sight, relief rendering her weak.She must have called them!

“Hey, beauty before age!” Regina Nox snapped at Ludmila Vissarion as they hustled one another to get inside the room.

Ludmila shook her cane at Regina. “You want to taste my flames, witch?!”

“Nana?!” Roman croaked. He jumped to his feet. “What are you doing here?!”

Ludmila brightened. “Roman.” Her expression fell. “What happened to you, my sweetie pie? You look like you’ve lost weight.” She narrowed her eyes at Nadia. “Has that mean witch been mistreating you?!”

Nadia sighed wearily. “Hello to you too, Ludmila.”

Regina squinted at Roman. “That is never your great grandkid?! Where’d he get his good looks from?” She glanced suspiciously at Ludmila. “’Cause it sure ain’t from your side of the family, hag.”

“Oh God,” Erik Nox muttered somewhere behind them.

Fire Magic erupted on Ludmila’s cane and in her salamander’s eyes. Regina’s jackrabbit bristled at her feet.

“Let’s all calm down,” April Blackwood said soothingly.

The Persian cat in her arms meowed softly.

Barbara Nolan appeared behind Regina. She looked like she was giving serious consideration to walloping the Vegas witch.

“Aunt Barbara.” Violet rushed over and hugged the older woman. She pulled back and scanned her face anxiously. “I didn’t think you’d get here so fast. I,” she faltered, “—I thought she might stop you from coming.”

“She said she couldn’t intervene with more than a warning.” Barbara smiled faintly and patted her niece’s shoulder. “She saw no reason to prevent us from providing assistance to the New York coven, since this involves the fate of the world of magic.”

“Us?” Miles said blankly.

A bevy of Nolans poked their heads around the door.

A man with a gray beard and a friendly parrot on his shoulder greeted them with a dignified expression that was at odds with the jostling happening around him. “Hello.”

“Yo,” a young woman holding a chihuahua said cheerfully over his shoulder.

“By the way, do you guys know about the giant in your garden?” a guy with a frog on his head said warily. “He’s peeing in a flower bed.”

Bryony straightened, scowling. “Don’t tell me it’s my petunias?!”

“It’s your roses, actually.”

Bryony cut her eyes to Abraham.

The aide sighed. “I’ll tell Rambrog off.”

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