Page 33 of Which Witch Is Wicked?
“Oh goddess. It’s growing claws,” Tierra shrieked.
“Kill it. Now.” Panic colored Moira’s voice. “Y’all have no idea what it could do by the time it’s done growing. It might eat the entire town like Godzilla or something.”
“Okay, three of us.” Fear must have engaged inside Aerin as well because she quickly joined hands with Moira and Tierra.
As they chanted the spell, the black figure Claire had conjured tripled in size. It loomed over them, taking more of a human shape, though its arms and claws continued to grow. It had also gained mobility, and now inched across the grass toward them.
Unmitigated fear raged through Claire as her three sisters repeated the spell over and over.What in the hell had she unleashed?
Whatever it was had to be stopped. There was no guarantee the four of them working a spell together would break another Seal, but they’d already done it once. However, Claire was damn sure the present danger would overtake them any second if she did nothing.
She broke Tierra’s and Moira’s clasped hands, gripping them both with her own. With as much power as she could muster, she joined in the chant with her sisters.
The creature screamed, its howl piercing the night sky.
“Again!” Aerin yelled. “I think it’s working.”
They repeated the words, the spell becoming an enchanting, powerful song with a mystical rhythm. The leaves in the trees rustled in the stiff breeze as the ground beneath them shook. Electrical currents entered her body from one sister and quickly passed to another. Their energies had combined, creating a magnetic, formidable power.
Rain poured from the sky, sizzling the burning entity. It screeched and roared, but no longer crawled toward them.
Midway through another round, a powerful wave sent Claire and her sisters tumbling apart. The figure on the grass seized, a big, black mountain of frozen fear. Then it shattered. Pieces of what appeared to be obsidian broke away, leaving a man lying on the grass.
The women scrambled to their feet. Claire held her breath as Tierra grabbed her hand once again.
“We done birthed a demon,” Moira whispered.
The young man groaned and slowly rose to his knees. He caught sight of them and halted, his expression full of confusion and distress. When his gaze landed on Claire, an elated smile erupted on his lips.
“Claire.”
“Tommy?” Claire gasped as she dropped Tierra’s hand.
“Claire,” he said again. He jumped to his feet and ran toward her, throwing his arms around her, crushing her with his hug. “Where have you been? I’ve looked everywhere.”
Claire pulled back and studied his features with an unearthly hunger. He looked exactly as he had before he’d become sick— blond hair, dazzling blue eyes that adored her. “I’m sorry, Tommy.”
“I was so worried. But I’ve found you now. Thank God I’ve found you.”
Aerin cleared her throat, drawing Claire’s gaze away from her loved one’s face.
“Who the hell is this?” Aerin asked as she cocked her hip and planted her hand on it.
“This is Tommy. He was my boyfriend.”
Tommy sent her a hurtful, questioning look.
“Heismy boyfriend,” Claire corrected.
“I thought he was dead,” Tierra whispered.
Moira shrugged. “Who says he isn’t still?”
* * *
Dru parkeda block from the Victorian mansion and stealthily made his way in the dark, his heart racing like a raging winter thunderstorm. If Lucy had harmed Claire in any way, he would see that she burned in the fires of Hell for an eternity. He didn’t know how or when, but she’d pay for her crimes.
A loud, animalistic wail rang through the air as he neared, and he was forced to slow or lose his footing when the ground released a violent rumble.
