Page 83 of Magic and Matrimony

Bram’s magic is so powerful, the hair on my arm and the back of my neck stands up straight as if static electricity surrounds us. I feel like if I lit a match, this whole place would explode. In front of us the six council members struggle against Bram’s magic, but the shadows have wrapped around them like a boa constrictor tightening. Its grip compresses with each second that passes. Bram is sweating, gritting his teeth together and breathing hard as he sucks the magic out of these people who have done so much harm. Not just to our friends, but to this entire town. They are truly awful people whose concern only goes as far as their own wellbeing. They care nothing for this community. For years, their only goal has been to improve their own situation in life. Now the repercussions of their actions have come to roost.

One by one, they fall to their knees. The crowd is quiet as Francesca collapses to the ground, shrieking and crying out in frustration. She has water magic, but she can’t use it right now. It would do nothing against Bram’s powers anyway. Philip has crumbled in a sobbing heap like a child. Bram’s father goes down next, sweat dripping down his face, his skin as pale as a ghost. He bends in half, holding his stomach while his son strips him of his magic. Selene’s body jerks and twitches, as if she’s a bug being poisoned. Tucker, one of the biggest men down there, has his legs braced and his arms raised as if he’s ready to swing out with a punch. But he’s frozen by the shadows that leach every bit of his magic from him.

With a flick of his hands, Bram releases the shadows, his task done. He stumbles back, but Roman is there to catch his brother.

“Are you okay?’

Bram gives him a goofy smile. “That is a lot of fucking magic.” He slurs his words. His shadows swirl around hisfingers, dripping off his skin as if he’s so juiced up that he can barely function.

“Jesus, you’re drunk on magic.” Roman sighs. Ava hurries up on stage and wraps her arm around Bram’s waist. He cups her cheek with one hand and nuzzles the top of her head with his nose. “There’s my girl. Have I told you today how beautiful you are and how much I love you? You’re the best. I’m so fucking lucky.”

“Okay, buddy. Let’s get you home and let you sleep off whatever this is.”

The rest of us look down at the fallen council. These people who have caused so much damage to so many people. They never thought they would be taken down. They thought they were above the simplest of human decency. Such hubris and now they’ve been brought down to their knees.

Lucida stares down at them, coldness taking over her gaze. “You are banished from this coven. Your magic has been stripped. Let that be the punishment that reminds you every day that you are not above others. Power or not, you’re not free from the consequences of heinous actions.”

37

PIPER

My body is weary, and my limbs feel weighted as I close the door to my bedroom. I stare around the beautiful room, my eyes drifting to the right, where I share a wall with Ambrose’s room. We’ve spent just as much time in his bed as we have in mine.

After the events of tonight, my brain is spinning. The challenges, the punishment, it’s a lot. Not that I’m unhappy with how things turned out. I’m excited that I’m part of the council. That I can help do some good for the witches of our town. I’m also relieved that the old council was stripped of their magic. It’s the least they deserve. But now it’s over. Ambrose is avoiding me because I love him. I can’t keep relying on other people. I need to stand on my own two feet.

“I can’t do this,” I murmur to myself and walk right back out the door.

Ambrose is standing in the hallway, looking like he’s been waiting there for a few minutes. Or maybe I caught him on his way to his room. He looks just as tired as I feel.

“Did you need something?” Ambrose asks.

“I need to go home.” As soon as I say the words, I know that it’s the right thing to do. My mind figured it out before I made the connection. Tucker has been stripped of his magic and kicked out of the coven. The hex and geas my father put on me are gone. That’s the whole reason I married Ambrose in the first place. And those things no longer torment me. It’s time for me to leave.

“You are home.” Ambrose narrows his eyes in confusion.

“I mean my own place, Ambrose.” I start down the steps, and Ambrose catches up with me a moment later.

“It’s the middle of the night. At least wait until morning.” His voice cracks, eyes filled with desperation.

I look out the window and see the sun coming up. “It’s the start of a new day. It’s the right time to go.”

Ambrose rubs at his eyes, putting his hand on the front door before I get a chance to open it. “Why don’t you get some sleep, and then we can talk about everything after we’ve both had some time to digest what happened over the last few days.”

I look up at Ambrose. There’s no hint of the jubilant, upbeat man who I first asked to marry me. That wasn’t really him, though, was it. Ambrose says he was broken, but he seems worse off now. Have I done that to him? I cup his cheek, his eyes lowering slightly as he stares down at me.

His whiskers bristle under my fingers. “You look scruffy.” I smile up at him.

“I did stay up all night.” He smiles down at me.

“I need to go, Ambrose. I love you, and it’s too hard to have that denied over and over again.”

“It’s my curse.” His voice is pleading, and it makes my heart ache. How easy would it be to stay here and pretend like nothing is wrong. That we’ve both chosen each other of our own free will. But he’ll never believe that.

“And now it’s mine.” I drop my hand and suck in a deep breath, trying to keep tears from spilling down my cheeks. “We’ll figure everything out,” I say, wondering how the hell you go about getting a divorce. I stare up at the man who’s totally won my heart and see how he doesn’t think that’s possible. “You’re worth loving, Ambrose. In case you haven’t figured that out.”

I duck under Ambrose’s arm and open the door, slipping outside before he gets out another word. Right now, I just need to be alone.

I cry the entire way home. I cry as I unlock my apartment door. And I cry when I step inside. It smells stale and dusty in the closed-up space. Dragging my sleeve over my eyes, I wipe away the tears.

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