Page 86 of Blood of a Huntsman

Spells and Shields

Seth's storm cleared to allow them to pass, and Cat's heart beat at a thousand miles an hour, robbed of all safety. She'd learned how to fight. Her family had seen to that. But she'd always sparred. Facing someone actually intent on killing her was terrifying.

And she lunged all the same.

Before Oldcrest, she wouldn't have. She would have yielded, bent her head, fallen in line. Because she was no one. A shell of a person, built by others, stripped of wants, desires, feelings. Now she had all of that in spades. It was hers, and she'd rather be killed today than return to the shadows.

The Beauforts were well known for their skills as fighters, but their family wasn't blessed with magic. As an average fighter with a little magic, she would have been well matched against a normal Beaufort. The ancient was well beyond her skills, but she rushed at Credence anyway. The asshole smirked, knowing she was outmatched. She was going to have to make it hurt. For as long as she could.

Cat feinted, pretending to aim for the head, but dropped to the ground at the last second, attempting to trip him. And he moved in time, drawing his feet back to kick her in the face.

She ducked her head just fast enough to avoid the hit, grabbed at his foot, and pulled.

It wasn't enough. Even on one foot, his balance was perfect. Damn him. This time, she knew she wouldn't avoid the kick as he dropped his heel down to her face.

Shit, it hurt.

She'd known worse, though. Cat bounced back to her feet and yelled, swinging her sword.

Credence stopped the blade with his arm, then drew back his fist to hit her. It stopped right before meeting her face, hitting an intangible wall.

Feeling energy passing right in front of her, she turned in that direction to see Blair on the other side of Bash's ravine, both hands extended toward her, holding on to an immaterial thread.

The rest of Oldcrest had come out of the barriers. The huntsmen were rushing down the ravine as the vamps, mostly managed by Seth right now, tried to reach them to help with the ancients. But the witches remained in line, right before the borders.

Cat knew enough of magic to realize that holding a powerful creature like Credence was unbelievably taxing. She wouldn't last long.

And she wasn't going to miss that chance. She plunged her sword right into Credence's heart.

It wasn't a fatal wound—not to any vampire, and certainly not to one as old as Credence—but he'd be out of commission for long enough.

Levi’s waters had flooded the ravine, preventing any storm mage from using their magic—they would have just ended up electrocuting anyone. Thinking fast, Cat kicked Credence down the ravine and pushed one jolt of lightning right through him, before moving on to the next ancient.

Alone, she would have had no chance. But the witches—Blair, Greer, Gwen, or any of the others—slowed them down, hindering her adversaries’ progress. More importantly, they shielded her so that she only faced one of them at a time.

They started to look like the winning side.

For a time.

Then the sky roared again. At first, Cat was unconcerned, believing that it had come from Seth, but the call felt different. More…refined. She looked up and gasped.

Her lightning, like Seth's, was a bolt of brilliant light. Nature called upon, unleashed. This was something else altogether. A dark bolt, zigzagging in black streaks, turning day to night.

Most turned to Oldcrest, but Cat's attention was on Julia.

Seth had tried to reach her, that much was clear, but the other ancients had barred his progress, keeping him away from their best weapon while she prepared to strike.

Now it was too late. She could see it. Julia had released all of her power.

Cat closed her eyes, feeling a shift in the energy around her, an explosion.

She didn't want to look back, but she couldn’t resist.

The shields around their home were flickering away in crumbling bright speckles.

Anyone could get in now. The inhabitants of Adairford. The wolves in the wood. The younger students still in the Institute. They were all in danger now.

The enemies immediately tried to spread out, attempting to circle round their line of defense.

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