Page 98 of Which Witch is Willing?
With a flick of her finger, Tierra blew the sturdy wooden door off its hinges, testing the wards by marching through it.
On Aerin’s other side, Martha took her arm, looking over at her with an expression of conciliation. “We’re coming with you,” she said. “Well some of us are.”
They hobbled out onto the porch and sat down in the sunlight, breathing in the air.
Because of the power required of Lucifer to do what she’d done to Aerin, some of the witches had been nearly as drained as she. Claire and Tierra made several trips back inside to conduct a quick assessment of the damage, and spared precious time ministering spells and herbs to those who were pale, drained, frightened, and wounded.
“We never should have doubted. Never should have let fear take root,” Martha tutted, laying her hand against the burn on Aerin’s arm and murmuring a healing spell. “Not that it is an excuse, but no one is equipped for times like these. No one knows which side is the one with the truth, sometimes until it’s too late.”
“I understand,” Aerin replied, and she did. “I know what it’s like to be seduced by the darkness.”
Later, by the time all the witches had been led out onto Water Street, Aerin’s wound was little worse than a nagging sunburn. With what little strength she had left, she summoned her broom, noting that Claire did the same.
Tierra herded maybe half the coven down the street toward the fountain where they could climb the steps to uptown. “Everyone collect your things and your loved ones. You’ll shelter on the de Moray grounds tonight. We’ll ward the hell out of it.”
The other half…had gone with Melody. Following Lucifer, it seemed.
After a time, Death glided down on his ebony wings. “She’s gone for now,” Killian said, grabbing Tierra and kissing her. “It’ll be at least a full rotation of the moon before she can resurrect into an immortal body. If we’re lucky, it’ll take her longer.”
“Oh, good,” Aerin said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “We have twenty-four hours until all of our hard work is completely unraveled.”
Killian’s eyebrow lifted. “Uh, you’re welcome for saving your life.”
Aerin felt like growling. Screaming. Punching him. And thanking him. “I would have given my life if it would have meant the end of her! If it would have meant an end to this.” She thrust her hands to the destruction wrought on Main St. “My death would have been worth it if it saved lives.”
Lightning crackled across the cloudless sky, causing many of them to jump or cover their head out of impulse. Thunder followed, shaking the ground beneath their feet with the power of a Santa Ana earthquake.
“That wasn’t me,” Tierra said, glancing around with eyes wide as gooseberries.
“Nope.” A smile split Claire’s lips ear to ear as she beamed at what Aerin was now holding in her hand.
Aerin closed her palm around what felt like cold, smooth ivory at the top of which a moonstone was cast into the intricate tinges. The gentle pressure of a crown on her head carried the weight of the entire world’s demands. Of their destiny to either destroy the earth or save it.
Her wand. Her crown.
She’d earned it.
For some reason, she had thought that she’d feel something like victorious after such a momentous achievement. But instead she felt humbled. Grateful. Determined.
She needed to earn this honor. To deserve it.
Returning Claire and Tierra’s congratulatory hugs, she lifted her head and looked for Julian to share in this moment with her.
He was nowhere to be found.
Frowning she looked down into her hand, considering what she’d done. She was not, at her core, a selfless woman. Her entire life she’d only had herself to look after, to rely upon.
To care about.
And in such a short time, all that had changed.
She’d give her life for those she loved. She’d have died for Moira.
Moira!The thought of her bending down and clutching her belly had Aerin hopping on her broom. “We have to get to Moira!” she called to her sisters.
“I was feeling that, too,” Tierra agreed, allowing her mate to lift her in his arms and take off with a great beat of his powerful wings.
“Let’s go,” Claire took a running start and hopped on her broom.
