Chapter 38

Thirty-Eight

All it takes is a single step forward and the spell latches onto me. That tendril of power stabs through my chest and a deep, hollow ache settles into my bones.

There is no finesse when I hurl choice words at the seven others to break their connection to the spell.

The next words I cast break through the two barriers like a brick through plate glass.

And then, the power drain knocks me to my knees.

Darkness threatens at the edges of my vision and I know we're all in trouble.

Not because I can't control the spell Aphrodite's chosen… but because there's no chance in hell that she can complete it.

If I've taken a wrong step…

I don't have to tell the wolves to get the guys out of the circle.

"Change us!" Thomas says, his words a hiss as his wolf bullies him back.

"You're too weak. If I force that change on you, you'll go back to the way it was before."

"I don't care."

"I do."

I push him, a gentle thrust of magic and his wolf takes over the rest.

The two women who aren't bound to Aphrodite anymore drag the third away. But when I look up to Aphrodite, she's smiling.

"It's just you and me now. And you're going to lose." She sneers at me, her smile more beatific than she deserves. "You think you're so powerful, but you stepped into this trap without a moment's thought, just because I put your little wolves in harm's way."

She hasn't looked at them once.

"This was about me?"

"Of course it was about you. It wasn't at first, but then you had to get in my way. What do I want with werewolf magic when I can take what belongs to the Mathis line… taking your power means I can take anything I want."

The laugh that falls from my lips is a broken, dark thing.

"Once I've drained you, I'll go stake your bloodsucking grandmother and with the family ring, not even your mother can stop me."

I don't tell her she's wrong. I won't waste the breath. Even if she pulls this off. My grandmother doesn't have the ring… And four werewolves will tear her to pieces the moment I'm gone.

But that's not going to happen.

I clutch the coal in my hand.

"There's more skill than inherited talent to what I do, Aphrodite. It dook decades to learn. You can take the latter, but the former requires time. Even if you could manage this… the power would eat you alive."

She watches me and I expect her to bite back. But her stance tells me she thinks I'm going to rush toward her.

When I don't…

"Aren't you going to fight me?"

"No."

She glares at me and then lets out a bitter laugh."Every second you waste with this, I get stronger. But I'm feeling generous. As soon as I'm done with you, I'll kill them, so you can enjoy the afterlife together."

"I am getting weaker. No one will deny that." A few more minutes of this and I won't be able to cast a spell at all. "But you've forgotten something very important."

Letting out an irritated groan, Aphrodite turns to me with a glare filled with impatience. "What?"

"You can't cheat with magic." I manage to drag myself to my feet.

She rolls her eyes. "Magic is the cheat, Scarlette. We live our lives cheating all the poor magicless souls out of anything we need. How the hell do you think your family got so rich?"

"I know some of the darker secrets of my family. But that doesn't mean I need to repeat them." One more step to the side… the coal rests hot and heavy in my hand.

I hold it up, displayed on my palm. A warning, even though there is no going back now.

"You can't cheat." I see the moment she understands.

She lunges for me a moment after I throw it, and the burning ball of magic tears straight through her paper moon, lighting the brittle sphere on fire.

It disappears in a puff, and the night goes deathly still for a moment before—like a sonic blast—the magic that had funneled into Aphrodite bursts from her, throwing me back.

I hit the ground hard, not even the thick layer of crunchy leaves and needles saved me from having the wind knocked out of me.

Johnny and Thomas pull me back, and all five of us huddle together, watching as Aphrodite struggles to get back to her feet.

She stumbles like a drunk, but from her wide eyes, I know she knows what's coming.

"Every spell has consequences." I whisper the words into the too loud night.

The glowing orb that had pulled from everyone but her had shrunk down with that outburst of power… and now, she was the only one left to feed it.

And I don't want to see it. I bury my face in Chase's chest, trying to block out the screams as Aphrodite has the life sucked out of her.

"No!" The cry is as startling as the woman who runs past us.

Martha Lourdes rushes to her daughter, but the moment she touches her, Martha falls into the path of the spell too.

Together they scream… writhing.

Contorting.

They are drained by Aphrodite's magic until there's nothing left of them.

That ball of power bursts like a soapy bubble and I cling tightly to my men.

The silence falls heavy as a boulder on us.

"We're not alone," Joshua's words aren't whispered. He doesn't care that the coven knows he's just warned me. And I don't care either.

I hear the sharp crunch of leaves and someone running, but it isn't my mother who slides to a stop in front of us, it's Elaria.

"Are you alright?"

She pushes my hair back from my face, and I'm glad it's her. Because she doesn't care that the guys haven't moved away. And I don't feel like I need to ask them.

"I've been better, but I've also been worse."

"I haven't," Chase says lowly from behind me.

I don't imagine any of them feel like themselves right now.

Before I can make them any promises or give them any reassurances, my mother stops beside us.

Unlike Elaria, she's wearing a cloak and its hem drags through the leaves and needles. "I told you you could handle this on your own."

"I shouldn't have had to."

Renée looks down at us from the other side. "You're right. We were warned and we messed up. We'll try to do better if there's a next time."

But I don't think she means it. And from the look on Elaria's face, I don't think she does either.

"Are you able to stand?" My mother asks.

"I was hit with the back burst of the power she leached. I'm okay."

Elaria pushes to her feet, offering her hand to help me up, and the guys push me up too, even though I don't need the help.

"Stay put. You guys were under the influence a lot longer than I was. You need to get your strength back."

They're all piled together, so I'm not certain who it is that gives me the thumbs up. All of their eyes are closed.

When I rejoin the coven circled around Aphrodite and Martha Lourdes, it's leaning on Elaria.

What remains is a pair of twisted… mummified creatures.

The end of a bloodline. The thought brings a sour taste to my mouth.