Page 90 of The Powerless Witch

“Master!” a voice shouted and my blood ran cold at the panic in it. Then I realized the voice was too deep, too emotional, and too strong to be Chester’s.

“Oscar?” I frowned, turning to find Isaac watching me from the door. “What’s the matter?”

“Something is happening!” he replied, then shouted to someone to hurry up. “Are you outside? Look at the sky!”

Frowning again, I headed toward the heavy door. I opened it a fraction, peeking outside to confirm it was still dark. I felt the sun, still hidden behind the horizon for at least an hour, but then I realized what was wrong—the sky was too bright.

“What is that?” I asked as I stepped out.

“I’m not sure, but it’s spreading! And it burns if we get too close!” Oscar snarled. “We are running away from it just in case, but I wanted to warn you. Dawn is approaching and if that thing catches—”

“Get out of the city,” I ordered as another phone rang. I strode back into the crypt just in time for Isaac to pick up, and his Beta's panicked voice echoed through the line.

“Out of the city?” Oscar repeated. “Do you think it will stop there?”

Isaac cursed, and I didn't need to eavesdrop on his conversation to guess the topic—undoubtedly, the blinding light and the spell the witches were casting.

I licked my lips, telling myself to hang up the phone. The vampires weren’t my problem—they weren’t even allowed to speak to me anymore. Helping them would only be harming them. But not helping them…Oscar’s words from the last time echoed in my head.

“If you want others to protect you, you protect them first. That’s what I learned by being a nest leader. Vampires don’t have to be solitary creatures. We can still have a family, even if it’s not one we were born into.”

“I’m sending you an address. Get your nest here. Do not go near the house or attack any humans you might run into there. There are caves you can hide in for the day. Stay away from that light!”

There was silence on the other end and for a moment I thought that my phone had finally died when Oscar said quietly, “Thank you, Master,” and hung up. By the time I strode back into the chamber, Isaac was putting on his shirt.

“What’s going on?” Celeste asked, her chin resting on the edge of the tub as if she didn’t have the strength to get up. Her eyes looked sunken and bloodshot, but the spark in them was sharp. Too sharp.

“Fucking witches!” Isaac murmured, grabbing his jacket and turning to face us with a furious expression. “I need to go back.”

“No, you need to tell your people to get out of there.” His frown deepened, so I added. “We don’t know what the spell does. We’re going to check it out.”

“We?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Yes,we.” I held his gaze because he looked ready to argue, but he just pushed past me while dialing a number.

“Give me just a second to dress and I—” Celeste pushed herself to stand but slipped and sank into the water. I was beside the tub in an instant, bringing her head up before she gulped any of the dirty water. She shook the droplets from her eyes, looking up at me stubbornly like she knew what I was going to say.

“Rest. We can handle this,” I told her gently, pressing a quick kiss on the top of her head. “We might need you, so gather your strength. Isaac can reach you through the bond if necessary.” Her eyes widened in surprise, but I only smiled. There was nothing she could hide from me, and I didn’t need to be in her head to know herthoughts. “Stay inside the crypt. The ward will protect you. Very few creatures can get in without you inviting them.”

She blew out an annoyed breath but nodded. I slid my fingers over her cheek, then walked away, prompted by Isaac’s impatient pacing in the other room. He looked at the door behind me as if waiting for Celeste, but when I strode outside, he followed without a word.

“My car is faster,” I said when he took a step toward his. His face twisted as if he was fighting a grimace, but he slid into the passenger’s seat without a comment. I started the engine and looked at him expectantly, only for him to growl, “What?”

“Seatbelt,” I said, and his jaw clenched with annoyance before he yanked it across his torso. I was speeding a moment later, getting down to the main road and taking the fork toward the city. The sky grew brighter as we drew closer and I watched it tentatively, letting my body assure me the sun was not up yet. If I was caught out here with no protection, I was done.

The trees cleared, and we both leaned forward, staring with awe at the pillar of light that was rising so high, it disappeared into the clouds. The blinding glare made me squint my eyes, but it was the way it moved that worried me—not like a light, but like a wave. Slowly, it stretched and stretched as if to cover more and more ground.

“Fuck me!” Isaac cursed while dialing someone again. “Ally, get everyone out of there now! Leave the stuff, just get the people out! Get out of the…Ally? Allison? Hello? Damn it!”

His fist smashed the top of the board, denting the whole thing, but I kept my mouth shut as waves of panic and fear rolled out of him. I stepped on the accelerator and he didn’t protest even when the car flew forward at neck-breaking speed.

By the time we could see the‘Welcome to Knoxville!’sign, the light had covered most of the city.

“Do you think the humans can see it?” Isaac asked in a tense voice.

“I think even the dead can see it,” I replied just as somberly. “There is no going b—”

Something jumped in front of us, and I slammed the brakes, swirling the car to avoid it. The vehicle flew out of the path, soaring through the air. I unclasped my belt even before we hit the ground, tearing through Isaac’s and grabbing him by the arm before leaping out of the window. We landed heavily on the ground, rolling a few times while the car crashed into the last of the trees, snapping several of them andtoppling a few others before it came to a stop. Smoke rose from the engine while fires engulfed its insides, spreading to the woods in seconds.

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