Page 93 of Witch Queen

Ran Soyun wrinkled her nose.

Her expression turned serious. “There is something I must tell you before you leave.”

CHAPTERTHIRTY-FOUR

“Areyou sure this is a good idea?” Bryony asked Mae with a pinched expression.

“Not really, but I can’t see what other choice we have.”

The wind blowing in from Upper Bay made her hair dance around her face as it washed over the west end of the pedestrian promenade on the Brooklyn Bridge.

“Wait for my signal,” Mae told Bryony and Abraham.

She headed out onto the walkway toward the first stone tower with Brimstone and Hellreaver. Cortes, Vlad, and Oscar followed in her steps.

A chill danced down Mae’s spine when they entered the shadows of the Neo-Gothic construction, the cables above them gleaming with a sinister light under the cloud-laden sky.

Hellreaver hovered closer to her. “This is creepy.”

Even Brimstone looked uneasy as he scanned the area.

They emerged from under the tower and walked another two hundred feet. Mae stopped and brought forth a single crimson sphere. She cast it into the sky.

Magic bloomed around the bridge at the sight of her sign, the New York coven and their allies raising a massive barrier from the east and west banks of the river. The shield made the water sizzle as it closed around the structure on four sides.

Mae reinforced it with her ownShieldand prayed it would be enough to prevent the city’s destruction. Tension knotted her shoulders.

She’d wanted to take this war out over the waters of Upper Bay, or even all the way out across the Atlantic. But she didn’t do so for one reason and one reason alone.

She and Na Ri could not win this fight on their own.

“Remember the plan,” Mae told the men beside her. “This is going to go down fast, so keep your wits about you. We have two goals. Separate Vedran from theBook of Shadows. And buy me time to destroy that artifact.”

The two sorcerers and the incubus exchanged a guarded glance.

“First things first.” Mae walked over to Oscar and pressed a hand to his stomach.

He stiffened, his eyes rounding. “What are you?—?!”

Heat surged through Mae. “Purge.”

Her magic flowed through Oscar, reversing theSubjugatespell that had weakened him. Vlad cursed. Cortes scowled.

Color slowly returned to Oscar’s face, his core freed from the shackles that had bound it. He gave Mae a dazed look.

“Why?! You didn’t have to?—!”

“Mae!” Vlad said angrily.

“I did,” Mae said firmly. She glanced at Vlad. “He won’t betray us. And I can’t have Drabek’s sorcerer dying on me. Not after everything I’ve done to keep her alive.”

Oscar’s eyes glowed with gratitude.

“Besides, Nikolai wants to see his brother,” Mae added quietly. “And that is one wish I will do my utmost to grant.” She fished inside her jacket and passed Oscar a vial. “I’m sorry we didn’t have time to get a healer to treat your wounds. Mrs. Son-Ha gave me this potion. She said it would help.”

Oscar stared. “Who’s Mrs. Son-Ha?”

“A Shaman.”

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